Dungeons, Dragons & Dames
by Alexpv22
Summary: (Full Summary Inside)
1. Prologue: Saturday Night Secrets

(Story Summary: Every Saturday night, for almost half a year; the girls see Lincoln leave the house for some sort of "outing" he has planned with his pals. Yet, whenever they ask him what he does; he gives the same answer..."it's a secret." One night, the Loud Sisters decide that enough is enough and they decide to follow Lincoln; in an attempt to learn what his "secret Saturday outings" are.

What is the secret Lincoln's keeping from them? Is it something distressing, sinister...or something too embarrassing to describe? Read on and you will see.)

(Disclaimer: I do not own the Loud House or anything from Dungeons & Dragons. The former is a creation of Chris Savino & Team and under the ownership of Nickelodeon. The latter is under the property of Wizards of the Coast, Hasbro and its creator, the late Gary Gygax.

I also do not claim ownership of the story's thumbnail image. All credit for the picture goes to DeviantArt user, Barrander. So, please...don't sue me.)

Saturday Night Secrets

Ah, summer nights in Royal Woods; the air is sticky yet tranquil, the crickets sound off their soft melodies and the town is abuzz with fun activity. This is no exception for one family in this little town; namely, the Loud House. Inside this split-level house, ten young ladies could be found indulging in their usual business.

Beginning with the four eldest sisters/siblings; Lori was seen texting her boyfriend, Leni is showing off her latest 'fashion creation" (which is simply her usual dress but with a frill around the midriff,) Luna was playing her music and Luan was practicing her jokes with Mr. Coconuts (her dummy.) As for the youngest ones; Lucy was writing down some poetry in her diary, Lisa was in the midst of some form of experiment and the twins (Lana and Lola) were entertaining their baby sister, Lily. But in an instant, these young ladies suddenly stopped what they were doing and began looking around the room suspiciously.

"Something feels off here" Lori muttered, "it's never _this_ quiet here on a Saturday night." The moment Lori mentioned this, everyone else soon noticed something felt off; it was as if something was missing...or _someone._ "Any of you dudettes seen Lynn anywhere" questioned Luna, "I ain't seen her since we finished dinner."

Everyone murmured softly with uncertainty, equally curious as to where their athletically inclined sister was. Then, as if on cue; the girl in question suddenly burst out of a door from the upper floor. From out of this room came Lynn Loud Jr., who appeared to be sniffing the air softly; as if searching for something.

"Dear sister, might I inquire as to why you are sniffing the atmosphere of the house's upper level like a bloodhound" questioned Lisa dryly, "you look as though you're tracking something." The young she-jock smiled at her sister and said that she was half-right. "I'm actually looking for _someone,_ Poindexter" Lynn chuckled, "it's Saturday Night, which means it's time for my sparring sesh with a certain white-haired dork we all know and love."

The girls each let out a soft groan of annoyance, knowing exactly what was to come; once Lynn was in a sparring mood. Every Saturday, she would choose any sibling she desired to spar with her. Only the little ones were exempt from this "activity," which the elder siblings considered to be unfair.

When the girls and Lincoln tried to get out of it, Lynn Sr. (their dad) said it was a "necessary evil;) proclaiming that their sister needed to be in tip top shape (both in body and in skill) for her more strenuous sporting activities at school. For about five months, this was the Loud Siblings' lives every Saturday. This time, however; things would be different.

Then, from upstairs; everyone heard the sudden yet soft crash of a door opening. Then, everyone spotted their brother making their way down the steps. On his back, everyone saw him lugging a rather heavy-looking backpack; much to their surprise.

"There you are, Stinkin'" Lynn said with a mischievous chuckle, "you ready to get destroyed?" While doing his best to hold up his bag _and_ keep a straight face, Lincoln smiled sheepishly at his sister and shook his head. "Sorry, Lynn; I can't spar tonight" he murmured, "I, uh...I've got plans with Clyde."

At first, everyone found Lincoln's statement to be believable. But somehow, something _still_ felt fishy and his demeanor gave some small signs about it. "If you're going to see your friend, Brother...might we ask why you are carrying such a heavy load" questioned Lisa, "there's no conceivable way that your large bag contains your sleeping bag and clothes inside."

With that statement, Lincoln knew it wouldn't be easy to fool his little genius of a sister. He had to act quickly and think of another explanation. But the weight from his bag was so heavy, it made it difficult for him to think clearly.

Finally, he found the one idea he was _sure_ the girls would believe. "Um...my bag is full of...really heavy books" Lincoln muttered, "see, Huggins gave us a writing assignment to do over the summer." At first, no one said anything and the only sound that could be heard was that of Lincoln's knees buckling weakly.

Finally, Lucy spoke up and asked why his bag appeared so stuffed; if he had to just read _one_ book. "Because...Because my bag has other books for me, Clyde and our friends to look over" he stated, "we each browse through the titles, find which one interests us and we'll start reading up on it...heh." Once again, the room was silent; as the girl took a moment to think over Lincoln's words.

Finally, they decided to ask Lincoln one final question; were their parents aware of what he was doing? "Oh, yeah; of course they are" groaned Lincoln while struggling to hold up his bag, "in fact, I'm heading out to the van; they're gonna give me a lift to Clyde's place." By the end of the explanation, Lincoln appeared on the verge of collapse; while the girls remained ever suspicious of their brother's words.

Then, without warning, the front door burst open; which caused Lincoln to stumble over and his bag to fall on top of him. This fall caused something from inside the bag to pop out of the flap slightly. Before anyone could question what was inside; the girls' father, Lynn Loud Sr. stepped through the doorway and snatched Lincoln up by his bag.

"Come on, Son; we don't want to be late" he said frantically, "your mother's got Vanzilla all revved up and ready to go!" With that said, the girls waved at their father and brother uneasily and watched as the family van raced off down the road. For a moment, everyone sat in stone silence; unsure of what to say or think.

Finally, after almost two minutes of waiting; Lola suddenly spoke up. "Okay, I'm sure everybody's thinking the same thing; so...I'll just say it" she stated, "anyone here think Dad and Lincoln were acting rather suspiciously?" Soon after saying this, the other sisters (sans Lily) began voicing the same concerns.

"I'm in the same grade level as Lincoln is" Lucy said suddenly, "yet...I don't recall Principal Huggins or any teacher at school giving us a writing assignment." After this, Leni quickly spoke up; proclaiming that she saw something almost pop out of Lincoln's bag, when he fell over. "It looked like some sort of piece of fabric" she murmured, "and a rather tacky one at that."

With this reveal, everyone was more than sure that Lincoln was hiding something from them. However, the question remained; what was their brother's secret? "I say we try and follow Vanzilla to wherever Mom and Dad are going with Lincoln" Lori suggested, "something in my gut tells me they aren't going to the McBride House."

While most of the girls agreed to the idea, Leni wasn't 100% on board. "I dunno, guys; should we really do this" she murmured with uncertainty, "I mean...you know how much Linky hates it when we metal in his business." After reminding her sister that the word she meant to use was "meddle" and not "metal;" Lisa also reminded her that as Lincoln's sisters, it was their "duty" to meddle in his business.

"That's right, who knows if our brother might be getting himself into some serious funny business" Luan stated, "and not the kind that I do either." With this in mind, the girls (almost) unanimously agreed to tail Vanzilla and learn where their brother was headed. "A very good idea, dear Sister" murmured Lisa, "there is but one problem...how do we plan on following the van?"

With this said, everyone let out a collective groan of dismay. With their mom and dad going with Lincoln, the girls lost their only ride. But then, they all started thinking up other ideas.

First; Luna decided to give her pal and roadie, Chunk a call and see if _he_ could give them a lift. But seconds after she sent a text to him; Luna got a reply back that read _"Sorry, luv; got me hands full tonight...maybe next time."_ With that idea down the drain, the eldest sisters considered giving their significant others a call and ask _them_ for a ride.

With hope in their hearts; Lori, Leni, Luna and Luan all sent texts to their lovers asking the same thing..."could you give us a lift?" Sadly; much like with Chunk, each of _them_ offered up the same kind of replies...the dismissive kind.

Chaz: "So sorry, sweetie; Dana's stuck babysitting me while the 'rents are out tonight...maybe next time.

Sam: "I really wish I could help, Looney Tunes. But I'm stuck with Simon tonight and have to watch over him until ten. I promise to make it up to you. Kisses from your lil' Samurai!

Benny: "Sorry, Luan; I'm busy rehearsing for something important and I need to keep at it for another hour. I can't afford to lose my mojo now."

"I promise to make up for lost time as soon as I can, I swear. Love, your sweet Benny-Boo."

Bobby: "So sorry, Babe...but..._Abuela_ and _Tia_ Frieda want me to look after the boys tonight. I swear; I promise to catch up with you, in the morning,

To say that the ladies were displeased by this turn of events would be a gross understatement. "This is literally getting on my nerves, girls" Lori growled, "not only is our brother acting weird...but nobody we know that can drive is able to give us a lift!" The other Loud Sisters also voiced their annoyance, adding how there was no way everyone suddenly becoming M.I.A. was a mere coincidence.

"Sisters, I believe we are now left with only two choices" Lisa interjected, "we must either trail the family van on foot or...we find our old bicycles (if we still have them in our possession) and ride there." Almost half of the girls groaned loudly with displeasure, declaring both of Lisa's ideas to be bad. "I may love a good run but Vanzilla must be miles away, by now" Lynn murmured, "ain't no way we'd be able to catch up to it!"

Leni sided with her younger sister on her complaint, proclaiming that she did not have any shoes that were meant for running long distances. "As for the bikes, we all haven't ridden them in ages" grumbled Lori while gesturing at the five other tall sisters, "we don't want to be seen riding them down the neighborhood!" After that, the girls collectively slumped in the living room with defeat; feeling as though they've exhausted every option they had.

Just then, an idea came into Lana's head; which caused her to break out into a wide grin. "There's still one other idea, guys" she sniggered, "that is, if she'll be willing to help us out." After that, she cast a glance over at a moderately sized pink car in the living room.

When Lola saw all this, she immediately leapt up and cried out her refusal to offer up her "princess car." "If you think I'm going to let you all cram inside of my baby, you're nuts" she growled, "remember the 'clown car' routine Luan tried to pull at her last birthday party gig?" In a flash, the scene takes us to the party in question; where Lynn and her party clown posse is seen trying to cram into Lola's car all at once.

In the end, the car strained heavily from the combined weight and mass of everyone inside; which almost caused it to break down. When the scene cuts back to the present, Luan frowns with shame; remembering how much of her "Funny Business" paycheck she had to dig into to help pay for repairs. "I really needed that money too" she murmured, "I was planning on buying that confetti cannon prototype I found online."

With a sharp rebuttal of "too bad, missy;" Lola crossed her arms and refused to lend her car to anyone. "For the record, Sis; I wasn't saying we all cram ourselves into the car at once" Lana retorted, "I was suggesting that you could help pull our bikes along from behind." A look of pure outrage appeared on the pageant girl's face, outraged that her sister would even suggest the idea.

"Even if I wanted to...which I don't, my Princess Car isn't strong enough to lug nine people behind me" she said firmly, "especially since some of you have been dipping into far too many subs lately." It didn't take long for Lynn to realize that the "pink princess" was referring to her. Infuriated with Lola's insults, Lynn prepared to unleash a punch to her face...but Lori quickly intervened.

After taking a moment to calm her younger sibling down, the eldest blonde whispered something into her ear; which caused the wee jock to smile deviously. A split second later, Lori cleared her throat and immediately tried to appeal to Lola's...nosey side. "Think about it, Lola; while we're all here bickering...just imagine what Lincoln's doing at this very moment" she murmured, "he could be doing something tattletale worthy."

The other girls all gasped in unified disgust at their eldest sister's tactic, before quickly reminding her of how hard Lola had been trying to let go of her tattletale habits. This led to everyone bickering viciously at one another (which is not very rare.) The fighting didn't last for very long, however.

In less than six seconds, the phone started ringing; causing the ten sisters to suddenly cease fighting. After pulling herself away from the others and dusting herself off, Lori picked up the phone and answered with a soft "hello?" Soon after, her ears were bombarded with loud shouts and rants from the voice of a familiar old man.

"Yes, Mr. Grouse; I know we promised to keep our fighting down to a respectable noise level" she said while trying to remain respectable, "my sisters and I were...just having a heated discussion is all."

(Quick cutaway to Mr. Grouse's home)

Across the street, the Louds' elderly neighbor is seen dressing himself in his outdoor evening wear; while also talking on the phone. "Well, could you _please_ make your discussions less heated" Mr. Grouse grumbled, "some people are trying to relax and enjoy their Saturday night in peace." With a heavy sigh, the man then said mumbled how thankful he was that he'd be enjoying a night out away from the family's chaos.

This bit of information immediately piqued Lori's interest on the other line. _"Oh, you're going out tonight; that's great" _she said with glee, _"are you visiting family or just going for a drive?"_ While Mr. Grouse felt like he wasn't inclined to divulge his own business to his neighbors; he _did_ however, simply said he was going out for a game night with some friends.

_"A game night, huh; that's literally a great way to spend a Saturday night"_ Lori's voice stated, _"hope you and your pals have fun."_ While still reminding her to keep the noise down at home, Mr. Grouse still thanked the girl for her best wishes and hung up the phone.

(Cut back to the Loud House)

After hanging up the phone, Lori ran her hand through her blonde locks in bewilderment. First, Lincoln and her parents went out for the night. Then, Bobby and some of her sisters own lovers also said they were busy and now; Mr. Grouse seemed to have something planned.

"This is just too freaky" Lynn cried in exasperation, "how could almost everyone we know all be having plans all at once?" The others couldn't help but agree with their athletic sister. However, one among them wasn't entirely convinced there was something odd occurring.

"With all do respect, Sisters; your fears might all be unfounded" Lisa interjected suddenly, "this could all be just a mere coincidence." Alas, the wee genius' words did little to stifle her sisters' ever-growing sense of curiosity. "We need to find out what they're doing" Lola chuckled crazily, "we must know, _WE MUST KNOW!_"

Despite their overall nervousness towards their sister's crazed demeanor, the other Loud girls couldn't help but agree with her. They _had _to figure out what everyone was doing and they couldn't help but think that somehow, Lincoln was at the center of it all. But with so many travel options down the drain, the only one left to use was the bike idea from earlier.

_"I guess, we have no other choice"_ groaned Lori in her mind, _"I just hope no one we know sees us riding on our old bikes and trikes out there."_ With that in mind, everyone headed for the garage and collected their bikes. After taking their seats, the girls pedaled with all their might to the McBride House.

For almost fifteen minutes, the girls pedaled with all the strength they had in their legs. They pushed themselves so hard, each of the girls thought their ankles would snap off at any moment. But through it all, they made it to the house and spotted Vanzilla parked outside.

"Good, they didn't leave yet" Lori whispered, "let's watch and see what happens next." Without a moment's hesitation, the girls hid themselves and their bikes inside of some bushes. While hiding, they kept a close watch on the van; waiting for it to move again.

Then, the door of the McBride House open and spotted their parents and Lincoln leaving with Clyde. After the quartet said their goodbyes to Harold and Howard, they climbed back into the van and drove away. "They're on the move again" cried Lynn, "let's catch up before they get too far!"

While some of the girls groaned at the idea of having to pedal again, they realized they had little choice in the matter. "Let's just get this over with" Lola grumbled, "I just hope they won't be making too many stops."

(Line Break)

Moments later, we find Vanzilla still on the move; with all ten Loud Sisters still in pursuit (barely.) As the girls continued following the van, they appeared to be on the verge of collapse. As if Fate had heard her weary cries, The Loud Sisters discovered that Clyde's house wasn't the only stop Vanzilla was making.

For the next half hour; the girls followed their three other family members to the Spokes household, the Gurdle house hold and the farm where Lincoln's friend, Liam lives. With each of these stops, the girls soon became even more suspicious. Why would their parents be stopping at the homes of each of Lincoln's friends, when he claimed it was just him and Clyde working on the "book report" Principal Huggins allegedly "assigned him."

It was official; something fishy _was_ going on with their bro and they were determined to find out, even if they had to pedal their bikes till their hearts gave out. But as they gave chase to Vanzilla, after it left Liam's farm; the girls all fell sideways in tired heaps. "It's...hopeless, girls" heaved Luan in exhaustion, "we came...this far but we can't...keep following them...forever, not like this."

Realizing that their sister had a point, the girls all climbed off their bikes and decided to continue on foot. "It's hopeless anyway" grumbled Lana, "how can we find Vanzilla now?" As everyone took a moment to catch their breath, Lisa was soon struck by inspiration. "I KNOW WHAT WE MUST DO, SISTERS" she cried, "we shall track the van by using science!"

Thinking quickly, she reached into her sweater and pulled out a tracking device. On the small screen, everyone could see a tiny red dot blipping. "Excellent, my tracker indicates that our quarry is less than eight miles from here" Lisa said with glee, "let's move along, everyone."

Before they decided to follow her, Lori and the girls questioned how Lisa was able to track the van's location. "Simple, dear sister" she replied, "I implanted a tracking chip into our brother's scalp, while he slept." The girls grimaced softly in both fear and disgust, before asking if they themselves also had tracking chips on them.

"If I were to say yes...would that cause us to give up our search" murmured Lisa with a nervous grin, "in which case...no." This revelation caused the girls to yelp in shock, before they started feeling around themselves for the tracking chips on them. "We can worry about that later, girls" Lori said firmly, "we've got a lead; so, let's use it."

With that said, the Loud Girls each felt a strong burst of determination rush through them; which gave them the strength to continue on. After another fifteen minutes of riding, the girls finally found the van. As they stepped off their bikes, the girls saw that it was parked outside of a large building; along with scores of other vehicles.

Upon studying the parking lot, the girls recognized several of the other familiar vehicles beside Vanzilla. Among these were Benny's car (which had polka dots on the hood,) Sam's motorbike, Chunk's van, the family car belonging to Chaz and Dana's parents car, Mr. Grouse's car and many others. "Okay...this is extremely weird, dudes" Luna murmured in disbelief, "everyone we know must be at this place."

The others couldn't help but agree with her but the question remained, _why_ were they all at a place like _this?_ "Let's go inside and ask someone for help" Leni suggested, "they might know what's going on." After taking a moment to firmly yet silently shush her sister; Lori reminded her that while the idea was good, they were trying to be sneaky.

"If we go in and talk to people, who knows what might happen" she said in a hushed tone, "besides, Mom and Dad might be upset with us; if they find out we all left the house." With few options left, the girls had to keep quiet and find out what was going on inside the building as best as they could. "I think I see some windows we can reach" Lynn murmured, "if we get close enough, one of us can look inside through there."

After everyone nodded in agreement; the girls left their bikes in the bushes, looked both ways at the nearest crosswalk and crept over towards the mysterious building. Once they were close enough, they spotted a window on the side and crept over to it. "Okay, Lori; you're the oldest and the tallest" Luna whispered, "go over and see what's going on in there."

Lori nodded slightly and approached the window as quiet as a church mouse. But rather than look through the glass; Lori took out her phone, held it up by the window and took a snapshot. Her mission successful, Lori gave a soft giggle; anxious to see what the big secret was.

However; when she brought up the picture on her phone, Lori let out a gasp of surprise. This sound immediately caught her sisters' attention, which caused them to rush over to her side in worry. "What is it, Lori; what did you see" questioned Lynn anxiously, "is it something worth teasing our brother about later?"

The elder blonde said nothing in reply but the look of suppressed laughter on her face spoke volumes, to the girls. Then, once she found enough composure to do so; Lori gestured for everyone to look at the pic on her phone. Confused yet intrigued, the girls complied with her order and looked at the cellphone screen.

Upon seeing the image, the Loud Sisters fought every urge to burst out laughing. For the picture did indeed, reveal that Lincoln and their parents were inside the place. But it also showed something extra, their brother dressed in makeshift Dwarf armor and a braided Viking beard. This sight was so ridiculous, it caused them all to roll around the concrete; bursting with laughter.

They laughed not just at how ridiculous their brother looked in his outfit. But it was also due to the comedic irony of their situation. Here they all thought Lincoln and his crew was doing something sinister.

When, in reality; it seemed as though they were simply taking part in (what they thought was) some sort of costume party. Lincoln was right, they _did_ have a tendency to meddle in people's affairs without knowing everything. Finally, everyone calmed down enough to help each other off the ground and dust themselves off.

"C'mon, guys; let's load our bikes onto the van" Lori said with a chuckle, "maybe Mom and Dad can take a minute to drive us all back home, if we're lucky." The girls nodded in agreement and prepared to follow her inside. But before they could even leave the parking lot; they soon found themselves confronted by two large, fully-armored individuals.

"Halt, intruders; thou art trespassing on sacred ground" the first armored individual decreed, "surrender peacefully and perhaps, the council will grant thee a merciful punishment." The girls blinked confusedly at the two warriors and asked what the "H" they were talking about. "We can see that the lot of you lack a proper understanding of the common tongue" the second individual said with a slight chuckle, "to reiterate...surrender and you will not be harmed."

Upon hearing these words, Lynn scoffed at the two "warriors" and said she wasn't afraid of them. "You clods obviously don't know who I am" she said confidently, "so, allow me to show you!" With that said, Lynn charged the duo; prepping to give a swift roundhouse kick to one of them.

But much to her surprise and that of the other Loud Sisters, the first armored warrior snatched her by the leg and gripped her tightly in his/her arms; restraining her. "So be it, come with us" the warrior said with a disgruntled sigh, "the Council shall decide what to do with you." At first, the remaining Loud Sisters thought about fighting back and rescuing Lynn.

But after seeing how their most athletically skilled sibling was taken down so easily, they realized they might be in over their heads. So, with their heads hanging low; the girls surrendered themselves and followed the two warriors inside the building.

(AN: And cue dramatic music from Psycho! Guess it's true what they say, curiosity _can_ kill the cat...or at least, get them into trouble.

Who are the faces behind the two armored warriors, why are so many friends and neighbors at this place, what business brings Lincoln and his parents here and most of all...what will become of the Loud Sisters?!

Tune in next time, to find out.)


	2. Chapter One: The Council fo Game Masters

The Council of Game Masters

Despite their best efforts, the Loud Sisters were unable to free themselves from their captors' grips; as they dragged them into the large building. Upon entering, the girls were met with a surprising sight. Though the outside appeared old and near dilapidated; the inside however, was truly beautiful.

There were colorful flags hanging from the rafters, a medieval tapestry hanging on the back wall of the building, colorful banners were tied on the railings of the upper walkways and flowed across the air above their heads. Near the back of the building was a small stage, where a band of minstrels were seen performing. Behind this stage, the girls presumably spotted Flip (dressed as a medieval barkeep) serving drinks to everyone.

Small torches were screwed into the support beams but instead of fire, small candle flame light bulbs were fastened inside. Lastly, everyone looked at the back of the room and saw five empty thrones stationed there. In the Loud Sisters minds, they felt as though they've wandered into a medieval great hall.

But as surprising as the décor was, there were three specific things that _truly_ got their attention. Firstly, everywhere they looked; they saw people dressed in all manner of odd outfits. There were Elves, Dwarves, Humans, Human-Elf hybrids, Human-_Dragon_ hybrids and many other types of creatures.

Some of them were dressed in handmade/hand stitched outfits, others were dressed in...rather impressive armor pieces. But of course, there were those among all these people who were dressed in outfits made partially or completely out of cardboard pieces. The second odd sight they've noticed was that everyone wore either distinctly different hairstyles or facial hair styles.

Yet even while wearing these disguises, the girls couldn't help but think there was something...familiar about some of the people around them. Finally, the most astonishing thing they saw was the thing in the center of the room. At first looked like three large, rectangular tables with multiple chairs seated around them; nothing out of the ordinary.

But as Lynn got a closer look; she saw that these tables were topped with figurines, multi-sided die, pencils/pens, dry erase markers, charts and piles of books. The sight all these items filled Lynn with a sense of dread, which confused her sisters immensely. "Girls, I think I know where we are" she murmured in an uneasy tone, "we've got ourselves roped into..."

Before the wee jock could finish, the warrior holding her roughly shoved her head down into a bowing position. "Stifle thyself, wench" "he" growled firmly, "you have no right to trespass on the sacred grounds of Castle Greyhawk!" The girls couldn't help but stare aghast at the warrior, after hearing his words.

"Look, dude; we don't want any trouble" Luna murmured softly, "but this ain't no castle and you guys ain't no knights." Feeling understandably offended by the rocker's words, the knight was poised to discipline her accordingly. But then, whether by some blessing from Fate or a stroke of dumb luck, "his" hand halted inches away from "his" sword's hilt; when the musicians suddenly sounded off their trumpets with great fanfare.

Once this happened, the Loud Sisters watched as the people around them suddenly scattered about like startled hens. "What happened" murmured Leni confusedly, "did someone say the secret word?" As the other Loud Sisters prepared to mildly scold the blonde for her naivety, the knights holding them forced them onto their knees in a kneeling position.

"This is cruel punishment" shouted Lola, "I'll see to it that you all lose your shields for this!" But the knights remained undeterred, choosing only to remain silent, while bowing respectfully. "Okay, this is getting _really_ weird...even for me" murmured Lucy, "just what exactly, are we bowing for?"

At first, one of the knights felt poised to snap at her. But upon remembering "his" code, "he" held "his" tongue and replied that the council was arriving soon. "It is they whom we look to within these walls for wisdom, guidance and justice" the second knight stated, "and it is they who shall decide your punishment, intruders."

This reveal caused the girls earlier bravado and defiant attitudes to slightly dampen. Whoever this council was; if they had such authority over this place, the girls felt they might be in trouble. Suddenly, the lights over the thrones switched on and five figures were seen coming through a door on the right side of them.

Each of these figures was dressed in beautiful handwoven robes. Yet each of them had a unique look (the first one was a deep red, the second one was white with gold fabric along the hems, the third blue with stars etched into the fabric, the forth black with a white "V" shaped streak along the chest and the fifth one dressed in a black robe with long dragon designs stretching up the back and front.) Much to the girls' dismay; each of these figures' robes were hooded.

Thus, they were unable to see just who it was beneath each of them. Upon seeing the looks of these figures, Lucy became awestruck. She didn't know if they were sorcerers, wizards, warlocks or whatever else; all that mattered was that she wanted to join them.

Leni was also in awe at these five strangers...but mainly because of the robes they were wearing. "OM GOSH, you guys" she cried, "those robes look super stylish, do you think they have one in _my _size?" Alas, the only response she received was a stern growl from the knight holding her down.

"Be silent and keep your head down, wench" the one knight glowered, "you are not to speak until the Council allows it." Growing evermore frustrated by the warriors' attitudes, Lynn was mere seconds away from smashing her fist into his kneecap. Then, up by the thrones; one of the council members suddenly slipped on the hem of their robe.

This caused the individual to fall forward, their hood cascading backwards while doing so. Once this happened, the Loud Sisters suddenly gasped with shock at the figure's true identity; Lynn Loud Sr. Just as he came close to slamming his head onto his throne, another council member quickly caught Lynn in their arms and dusted him off.

"Darn this robe of mine" he grumbled softly, "I _knew_ I should've gotten this thing tailored properly, after the last session!" As the other three council members grumbled at how the slip up totally threw off the mood, the fourth helped clean up Lynn's robe. Meanwhile, the girls stared at the scene before them; appearing frozen with shock.

_"What the...what's Dad doing here" _Lori thought in her head, _"and if he's part of this 'council,' then...who are the others?"_ Finally, Lynn's robe was all fixed up and each member of the council took their seats. Once they did, everyone in the hall slammed their fists upon their chests in salute and cried out "GLORY TO THE KINGDOM OF AVALONIS AND GLORY TO CASTLE GREYHAWK!"

The whole time this was happening, the girls looked at the crowd in bewilderment; wondering if they all lost their minds. Just then, the figure in the white and gold robe raised their hand and called for silence. The people in the hall followed suite and the room became so quiet, one could hear a moth's wings flapping.

Then; the figure suddenly burst out in a fit of uproarious laughter. Upon hearing it, Lori couldn't help but notice that the voice sounded almost...feminine. When the figure rose from her seat, she raised her arms high and smiled beneath her hood.

"Welcome, friends; welcome all" she cried with joy, "A HUNDRED THOUSAND WELCOMES!" The moment the figure said this, the crowd thanked her for her kind greeting and wished her the same. "I bid thee welcome, this night; noble champions" she said regally, "pray tell; have we any business to discuss, before we begin tonight's games?"

Five seconds after this was asked, what looked like an archer in a hooded robe raised his hand. "Ah, noble Alexi Long-Strider; the floor is yours" the hooded woman stated, "what business do you have to share?" Before answering, the individual known as Alexi rushed out the doors.

Upon his return, two minutes later; he wheeled in a large load of boxes atop a long platform hand truck. On this hand truck were boxes filled with soft drinks, snack foods, medical kits (in case "Flip" hurt himself while preparing food,) art kits and other supplies. "I have returned from the village of Great Lakes with supplies aplenty for our court" Alexi decreed, "behold; our stores be full, once more!"

The crowd cheered wildly for the archer's success and several "servants" began collecting the boxes from the hand truck. As the supplies were being put away properly, Alexi thanked the Council for letting him have the floor and took his place back amongst the crowd. "We thank you for this most generous bounty, Master Elf" the figure in black and white robe said gratefully, "have we anymore business to settle, before we may begin?"

The moment this question was presented, the girls suddenly found themselves being pushed out into the middle of the floor before the Council. "My Lords and Ladies, we found these maidens trespassing outside the castle walls" one of the armored warriors stated, "what do you wish to do with them?" Upon hearing this news, the Council Members growled softly under their breath and cast their gazes down at the Loud Sisters.

The girls in question found themselves feeling mixed emotions from their situation. On one hand, they feared for their lives and wondered if these strangers were planning to hurt them for trespassing. But on the _other_ hand, some of them (like Lori, Luna or Lynn) believed this to be a dream...or some sort of elaborate prank.

In any case, they couldn't deny the twinge of fear that ran through them. The first to feel this was little Lily, who suddenly let out a mournful cry of distress. Afraid this would offend the group before them, Lori did her best to stifle the baby's cries.

But then; the figure in the white and gold robe suddenly shot up from her throne, rushed through the crowd and took the baby into her arms tenderly. "Shh! It's okay, honey; don't cry" the figure said sweetly, "Mommy's got you, Mommy's here." Lily sniffled slightly and, for a brief moment, her crying ceased.

Soon after, the figure drew back her hood; revealing the face of Rita Loud, the baby's mother. Upon seeing her face, Lily suddenly burst out in giggles; which helped put Rita's heart at ease. Meanwhile, the other nine Loud Sisters stared in utter disbelief at the scene; unsure of what to think or say.

Then, mere seconds after she had calmed Lily down; Rita cast a stern glance at the girls. This was a look that all the Loud Siblings were greatly familiar with. It was a stare that seemed to say "you're in deep doo-doo now, girls."

At that moment, she clapped her hands high above her head; which caused someone to come running to her side. "Chamberlain, might you spare a moment or two to help care for my child" Rita requested, "I must contemplate on what to do with the intruders." The chamberlain (who turned out to be Kotaro, one of Lynn Sr.'s restaurant employees) took Lily in his arms and brought her to the side; where he helped keep her entertained for a spell.

Meanwhile, each member of the Council rose from their thrones and approached the Loud Sisters angrily. During their march; the remaining figures pulled back their hoods to reveal the faces of Principal Wilbur T. Huggins, Agnes Johnson and their grandfather, Albert (whom the girls affectionately dubbed "Pop-Pop.") With this reveal, the girls' felt their minds explode into bits of dust.

_"Okay...this is literally too freaky for me to handle"_ Lori thought to herself, _"what the heck are our parents, grandfather and our little brother's teachers doing in this den of geeks?"_ The eldest Loud Sister had little time to contemplate on this matter, unfortunately; as she suddenly heard her mother's voice faintly calling out her name. When her mind snapped back to reality, Lori came face-to-face with her mother's angry stare.

"Uh...heh-heh; hey, Mom" she chuckled sheepishly, "fancy seeing you and Dad here." The other sisters soon found themselves mimicking Lori's nervous chuckles and greetings, as they gazed upon their mother's angry gaze. Then, after what felt like an eternity of silence; Rita let out a calming breath and approached her eldest daughter.

"Lori, honey...sweetheart; it's _very_ nice to see you" she murmured through slightly clenched teeth, "but with the greatest possible amounts of restraint I have, I need to ask you something..._what are you all doing here?!_" Though her voice wasn't loud, the sharp tone in the woman's voice shook the girls to their collective core. For it signaled to them that they all truly were in deep doo-doo, now.

(AN: THE TRUTH IS REVEALED...for the most part. But if their parents and grandpa are three of the four council members and Lincoln's teachers are the remaining two, who else do you think could be in this place? At the same time, what will become of the girls now and what did Rita mean by "let the games begin?

Tune in next time, to find out"

(Second AN: The phrase Rita used "a hundred thousand welcomes" is from a quote from William Shakespeare's Coriolanus. Keep a bright lookout; as the story goes on, you may see other characters using Shakespearean/Olde English dialect)


	3. Chapter Two: Explanations

Explanations and Introductions

For what felt like ages, no one had spoken a word and the Council of Game Masters was growing rather impatient. Truthfully, none of the Loud Sisters knew what _to _say. Over the years, they've seen their folks go to many places; Karaoke bars, Bangers & Mosh, sporting events...they even saw them go Line-Dancing, on one occasion.

Yet, never once in _any_ of their lives did they expect to find them in a dingy old building, dressed up in wizard cloaks, surrounded by nerds and speaking like (what Lynn considered) "Ren Faire rejects." As such, the girls were left in a stunned silence; unable to respond to their mother's earlier inquiry.

Then, within mere seconds; Lynn and Lisa suddenly found themselves overcome with a sensation far greater than fearful anxiety...laughter. At first, only soft giggles passed the girls lips; the kind of giggling one feels after feeling a soft breeze blow past their ears. But as the girls gazed at their parents and neighbors in their costumes, their laughter began to build up slightly.

Upon hearing these noises, Lori let out a nervous yelp and tried to stop them. "Stuff it, you two" she said in a firm whisper, "we're already neck deep in hot water as it is!" Alas, her warnings fell onto deaf ears; as Lynn and Lisa struggled to hold back their giggles. Soon; both of their faces were red from holding their breath, tears were streaming down their face like waterfalls and their arms were shaking violently.

As the other Loud Sisters gazed at the duo worriedly, some of them (like Lori and Luna) prayed that nothing else would happen that could set them off. But it seemed Madame Fate had other intentions planned. Soon, everyone heard the melodious tones of a pan flute playing and the girls turned to see where the music was coming from.

Then, Lynn spotted something (or _someone_) that caused her eyes to widen with shock. It was her friend and fellow junior athlete, Margot Roberts; dressed up as a Satyr from Greek Mythology. She had faux ram horns atop her head, her hair was tied into a braided ponytail, her pants were designed to resemble goat legs and her shoes resembled the look of goat hooves.

The sight of Margot not only dressed in this manner but also playing a "dorky" instrument like the pan flute almost pushed Lynn to her limit, which made her sisters feel quite worried. _"Ah, dang it; Lynn's barely hanging on"_ Lana thought worriedly, _"if anything else happens, she'll explode!"_ Then, Margot ceased playing her melody and bowed graciously before the crowd; causing them to break out in applause.

While the group of costumed folk clapped joyously; the girls felt as though they might be in the clear, thanks to this distraction. But then; Margot approached the Loud Sisters merrily, bowed in greeting and said "I bid thee welcome, Daughters of Eve to Castle Greyhawk" in a most melodious voice. That was it...hearing her friend speak to them in such a voice, coupled with how she was dressed was the final spark that helped set Lynn off.

Before anyone could stop her, the young jock suddenly fell onto her knees and broke out in a most obnoxious fit of laughter. "OH, MY GOSH; THIS IS A RIOT" she wailed loudly with delight, "I DUNNO WHAT'S FUNNIER; THE WAY YOU'RE ALL TALKING, THE FACT YOU'RE POSSIBLY PLAYING A NERD'S GAME...OR THE DORKY WAY YOU'RE ALL DRESSED!" Lori gawked at Lynn in shock at her lack of restraint, while the crowd surrounding her and her sisters murmured in disapproval.

"Now, see here; we shall not have you speak such offenses in our presence" grumbled Principal Huggins beneath his hood, "we demand that you apologize to us immediately." The moment he said these words, little Lisa (much to her surprise) suddenly burst out in her own fit of laughter. "No-No-Normally, I am...above the expression of uproarious contractions of the diaphragm" she said between breaths, "but...I must agree with my sibling, YOU ALL LOOK AND SOUND RIDICULOUS!"

Not long after, the two girls put special emphasis on their feelings towards how their parents were dressed; proclaiming it was "too early to put on their nightgowns." This caused many of the costumed folks to roar with outrage. One young lady in particular, who was dressed as a Minotaur, bellowed like a mad bull and pointed the tip of her sword mere inches from Lynn's forehead.

"You _dare_ to insult the Council, Manling" she growled softly, "I should cut your tongue out and feed it to the rats." At first, Lynn felt concerned about this turn of events. But once she saw that the Minotaur's blade was a wooden one, her fears instantly faded away.

"Oh, no; I'm so scared" she cried mockingly, "don't unleash your flurry of splintery blows upon me, O mighty beast!" The Minotaur, feeling greatly offended by Lynn's tone, felt poised to strike her where she stood. But then a loud thumping echoed through the room; causing her to freeze still.

"Leave the child be, Warrior" Rita murmured firmly in a regal voice, "Game Master Acheron and I shall deal with her and the others ourselves." The Minotaur hesitated, for a moment or so; then...she sheathed her blade back into its scabbard and backed away, all while glowering viciously at Lynn. "Fortune smiles upon you this night, Manling" she murmured softly, "but know this...the sting of my blade pales in comparison to whatever judgment the Council will deliver."

With that said, the Minotaur took her place back amongst the rest of her "kinfolk;" leaving the Loud Sisters back in the spotlight again. Then, the Council noticed Leni raising her hand and granted her permission to speak. "We're totes sorry for passing your tresses" she murmured penitently, "but where is this Acheron guy we're supposed to talk to?"

In response to Leni's inquiry, someone dressed as a goblin pointed his spear at the thrones. "The man you seek stands before you, fair maid" he said in a hoarse voice, "but you may know him by another name, beyond these walls...Lynn Loud Sr." The moment this was said, the man in question stepped off his throne and approached the girls silently.

When he got close enough, the girls expected their father to lecture them in some form of Medieval Dialect. But much to their surprise, he suddenly broke character by asking "I have two questions, how did you know we were here...and why did you follow us?" Without hesitation; Leni revealed that Lisa put a chip in Lincoln's hair while he slept.

"To be honest, I think that's a weird place to put a chip" she said absentmindedly, "I mean, think of all the hair and dandruff that could cover a perfectly tasty chip." Before the other sisters could scold Leni for both putting such a gross image in their heads and blabbing about the tracker, a thought soon came to them. If both of their parents were here; then, where was Lincoln?

Soon, each of them began scanning the crowd; hoping to find some sign of their brother. But much to their dismay, the only ones with white hair were either boys much older than him or one or two girls. Then, at that moment; everyone's heads suddenly perked up at the sound of what the girls presumed to be singing. Though faint, it sounded like it was coming from somewhere outside of the hall.

Suddenly, a door swung open and a group of what appeared to be Dwarves came marching in; singing a loud song (presumably) about their people.

_Born underground, suckled from a teat of stone  
Raised in the dark, the safety of our mountain home  
Skin made of iron, steel in our bones  
To dig and dig makes us free_

_Come on, brothers; sing with me!  
_

_I am a Dwarf and I'm digging a hole  
Diggy diggy hole, diggy diggy hole!  
I am a Dwarf and I'm digging a hole  
Diggy diggy hole, digging a hole!_

This melody evoked mixed reactions from both the Loud Sisters and the crowd of costumed folk. While the latter group clapped, cheered, chanted and/or sang along with the Dwarves; the former simply stared at them in disbelief. "Dude, how can these people like this kind of music" Luna mumbled uncomfortably, "the chorus verse is just the same phrase repeated twice."

As the Dwarves began dancing to their song's instrumental; one of them cast a slight glance at one of the Loud Sisters, gasped in shock and suddenly bumped into his comrades. As the group fell hard onto the floor, helmets and beards suddenly flew about every which way. Overcome with concern, Leni gazed down at the floor and asked if the group was alright.

When the dust settled, the group of Dwarves was revealed to actually be Lincoln and his crew of friends; Clyde, Rusty, Liam and Zach. After taking a moment to dust themselves off, the latter three boys lightly scolded Lincoln for tripping them up. "We've rehearsed that song all week, dude" Rusty grumbled, "you could've warned us, if you were planning on stopping midway through!"

Upon getting back on his feet, Lincoln held up his hands defensively and proclaimed that his sisters threw off his rhythm. "What are you guys even doing here, Lori" he demanded, "you guys were supposed to stay home." Despite the firmness in Lincoln's tone, it did little to frighten his sisters; who were all glaring at him with equal intensity.

"If anyone has a right to be angry here, it's _us_" Lynn growled, "you said you were going to Clyde's to do homework but instead, we find you in some secret..._nerd meeting!_" Upon hearing the girl use such slanderous language, the other costumed folks began to shout angrily. "How dare this child use such language in this place" growled a grey-skinned Orc barbarian, "permission to punish her accordingly, My Lords and Ladies?"

Realizing that many of the people were still in-character, Lynn Sr. raised his staff high and called for silence. "Appreciate the idea, Chunk...but not right now" he muttered with a slight chuckle, "I...or _we_, the other council members and I, must first decide what to do with my daughters." Upon hearing himself be called by his true name, the Orc (revealed to be Chunk Monk) warrior frowned slightly and took a seat at the game table.

"If that's the case, mate; might I get a refill in me stein" he sighed dejectedly, "I need to refresh meself a bit, before we play." After that was said, Chunk made his way over to the bar; asking for a refill of "mead." "Hold it, dudes...are y'all...drinking here" Luna asked in disbelief, "you _do_ realize that there are kids here too...right?"

When everyone heard her concerns, the crowd suddenly burst out in hearty laughter. Eventually, Lincoln calmed himself down enough to explain the truth. "Flip...or as he's known here, Bojan, is serving soft drinks at the bar" he stated, "in here; mead is actually Root Beer, Mountain Dew is called Fairy Ale, Dr. Pepper is called Alchemist's Froth and water is...well, just water."

Unbeknownst to the boy, all his words simply sounded like white noise to Luna's ears; for she was desperately trying to understand her current situation. It was one thing for both her parents and brother to be in this place. But the fact that her friend and roadie was amongst the rabble made things all the more confusing.

Meanwhile, Rita continued to grill the rest of her daughters; expecting to hear an explanation for why they all followed Lincoln. "It's like we literally said a moment ago, Mom" Lori groaned exasperatedly, "Linc told us he was going to Clyde's to work on a report with his friends." A second later, Lynn added that they only reason they followed the van was because they believed he was lying to them.

After hearing the young ladies' testimony, Mrs. Johnson turned towards Lincoln and gazed at him firmly. "What do you have to say about this, young man" she stated, "_did_ you in fact, lie to your sisters?" At first, some of the sisters (namely Lori, Lynn, Lucy, Lana and Lola) expected Lincoln to be sweating nervously; before attempting to save himself with a lie.

What happened next however was so surprising; it even caused Lily to gasp in awe. Lincoln removed his Dwarf helmet, took a knee and bowed before the four adults. "It's the truth, I _did_ lie to them" he sighed, "but I did it with good reason."

After that, Lincoln explicitly revealed that if he told them the truth at home, the result would've been both disastrous and annoying. "You all heard for yourselves how much they mocked us for playing this game" he grumbled, "I know it was wrong...but what else could I have done?" There was a soft murmur amongst the council members, which made both Lincoln and his sisters feel rather anxious.

After almost thirty seconds of waiting, the council's whispers ceased and they turned their attention back towards the girls. "After some deliberation, we have agreed that Lincoln still should have been open about his outings with his sisters" Mrs. Johnson said stoically, "_however..._due to the news of these young ladies often mocking him for his interests, we've decided to overlook this mild oversight, just this once." Lincoln smiled slightly at his teacher/Game Mistress' words, feeling happy that the council reached a middle ground in the situation.

With _that_ issue settled, the time had come to decide what to do with the girls themselves. After all; even though Lincoln told them a white lie, it was they who committed the _true_ crime of leaving the house without permission and following their brother to the "castle." There was also the matter of the tracking chip on Lincoln's person that needed to be addressed.

"Before we begin, the five of us would just like to know one thing" Rita said firmly, "have you anything to say in your defense, girls?" Despite the shame of their actions still swirling about inside of them; on the outside, the Loud Sisters did their best to appear strong and defiant. "Look, guys; we're all sorry for following Lincoln and our parents here...really" Lynn Jr. murmured halfheartedly, "but if you don't mind, we have some of our own questions to ask."

Despite everyone's opinions in saying her apology lacked any true sincerity, the council members decided to be lenient and offered them to ask anything they wish. The first to approach the floor was Lori, who had finally been released from the hold of her armored captor. "Okay, to start with...what is this place" she asked, "outside, it looked like a dingy old castle/fortress...and I didn't even know there were literally any such places in Royal Woods."

Everyone smiled at the young lady and revealed that the building wasn't a _true_ castle. "This is actually a venue building made by Castle Farms" Principal Huggins explained, "on the outside, it _looks_ like castle...but inside; it's full of 21st Century accommodations." To conclude his point, the council added that a team of painters and designers Community Art Department were the ones responsible for making the building look old and decrepit.

"I think Mandee did a particularly excellent job on the cobwebs outside" Rita chuckled with pride, "er...my mistake, I meant to say the lady Ebony Oakwood did an excellent job." Upon hearing her mother mention the name "Mandee," Leni's head suddenly perked up and she began looking around her like a confused hound. After a while, she finally managed to find her friend; who was standing on the sidelines with other members of Leni's posse.

Mandee (or Ebony Oakwood, as she was known in this place) was dressed in a form of clothing known as a kirtle; which was a bodice with an unlined, gathered skirt attached to it. The bodice was a light blue color (the same as her usual turtleneck) and her skirt was a dark green with a white underskirt beneath it. Though such garments were usually the kind worn by servants, the designs of Mandee's really looked stylish.

As she looked around at her other friends, Leni noticed that _they_ were in costume as well. Miguel was dressed in a relatively plan-looking dark blue tunic, brown pantaloons, brown shoes, had a green cap upon his head with a red feather on the side and wore a white smock that covered his whole torso. Fiona was dressed in a kirtle almost similar to Mandee's.

But unlike the former; _her_ bodice was red and the attached skirt was a sort of maroon color with a golden hem. Her hair had also been changed as well, braided into a long and beautiful ponytail. Lastly, Leni noticed that she wore a beautiful headdress bearing colors of violet and green.

The sight of her friends dressed in such a way caused the young blonde to beam with excitement. "OM Gosh, you guys" she cried, "you all look so adorable, do you having anything in _my _size?" Rather than answer her immediately, the foursome chose to cast firm glances her way; which were followed by faint "harrumphs" from each of them.

Shocked by her friends giving her the cold shoulder, Leni was on the verge of tears. But then, Lincoln approached her and dried her eyes with a scarf he kept on his chest plate. "Do not weep, fair one" he said softly, "it pains me to see a beautiful jewel such as you lose her luster by shedding tears."

While Lincoln's dialogue slightly confused her; Leni smiled at her brother, accepted his token, dried her tears and embraced him. "Thanks so much for cheering me up, Linky" she said sweetly; her usual demeanor returning; "I love your costume, by the way." Lincoln chuckled softly at his elder sister and thanked her for the compliment.

"This was the work of Madame Spindleshanks and her assistant, Miss Brandybuck" he stated, "their skill with cloth, fabrics and other apparel is truly astonishing." Feeling flattered by his compliment; Fiona (or Madame Spindleshanks) looks away, blushes and gives a shy "oh, stop it" hand wave. "As for the beard, I owe _this_ to Miguel (A.K.A. Lawrence Pipping;) he's our resident hair stylist."

As if on cue, Miguel waved at Leni and put the final touches on some form of a wig. Afterwards, he carefully placed upon the head of one of the players dressed as an elf. While they didn't pay much mind to things like hairstyling or makeovers in the level Leni did, the other Loud Girls couldn't help but admire Miguel's handiwork.

A moment later, Rita noticed that Lana had her hand up and offered her the floor. "Sorry if I seem dumb, guys" she stated, "but what's with all the weird names? Upon hearing this question, Lori and Luna began asking the same thing.

"I mean; Lawrence Pipping, Madame Spindleshanks, Bojan" Luna listed off, "why not just call each other by your real names?" The council looked at one another for a moment and decided to explain things as best as they could. "You see, ladies; within these walls, we address one another by our character names" Principal Huggins stated, "for instance; in here, I am known as Game Master Fastred."

After this, the others began sounding off _their_ alternate names as well. Lynn Sr. revealed himself to be Game Master Acheron, Rita was Game Mistress Eliana, Albert's/Pop-Pop's name was known as Game Master Karuk and Mrs. Johnson was Game Mistress Agathe. "Okay...we're kinda following you on the name thing" murmured Lucy, "but what's with all the kneeling and bowing, are you guys like...the Kings and Queens of this place?"

No sooner had they been asked this, the group of elders chuckled heartily at the young Goth. "No, pumpkin; we're far from it" Albert stated, "we are the Council of Game Masters and _we_ are the creators of the realm!" This proclamation seemed to only make the girls feel more lost than they already were.

"As the Game Masters, _we_ control the story of our game's world" Mrs. Johnson explained, "we present the events of the world to the players; namely, nigh everyone around us here and _we_ decide the outcome of whatever actions they wish to perform." After this, the Loud Parents revealed a bag of dice to the girls. "Those are some weird looking dice" Lola murmured, "what are they all for?"

Before replying, Rita/Game Mistress Eliana reached into the bag and pulled out a die. This particular one had twenty different numbers on numerous parts of it, which almost overwhelmed the young toddler. "During the game, both the Game Masters and the players' roll die to determine the outcome of certain actions" she explained, "some of the high numbers, depending on the situation, can be good or bad for you."

When some of the girls asked which roll was which, Clyde quickly stepped in. "Let's say that...in the game, you're attacked by a wizard and he fires a fireball at you" he explained, "if your character wants to create a shield to protect them, you roll the dice and if it lands on a high number like, say...20; your character will be safe." Lana, Lola, Leni and even Lily nodded silently in understanding; while the others stood behind with either bothered or indifferent expressions.

"But what if the dice thingy lands on smaller numbers, like a 5" questioned Leni, "what happens then?" Without hesitation, Lynn Sr. revealed that such a roll would leave their character vulnerable to the attack. "Once the attack is made, one of _us_ rolls a dice to determine how much damage you get" Mrs. Johnson explained, "if you're character loses all its health points, they're dead and can only be brought back through some sort of resurrection magic."

While the council continued explaining the game's nature, Lori and the other Loud Sisters simply groaned in exasperation. Lori, in particular appeared so bored, she was ready to rip her hair out. _"I could literally be back at home, watching The Wingman or organizing my clothes"_ she thought to herself, _"but instead, I'm trapped in this den of nerds and man-children."_

As Lori felt herself being enveloped by an aura of boredom, a hooded figure suddenly approached her. _"__Amatúlië__, __Hiril vuin__"_ the figure said in greeting while bowing slightly, "I bid thee welcome to our humble home." At first, Lori felt the desire to grimace at his dialogue; thinking it was "too dorky for her to handle."

But when the ranger raised his head up and she got a look at his eyes...she froze. Though his face was well-hidden beneath his green hood, something about his eyes made her feel somewhat, giddy inside. However, in spite of this feeling; Lori did her best to appear indifferent towards the ranger's behavior.

"Sorry, bub but this isn't really my sort of place to mingle" she said unemotionally, "you're welcome to try my other sisters, though." Upon hearing this suggestion, the ranger simply gave a soft chuckle and proclaimed he had his eyes on her alone. "Look...I'm sure you're nice guy" Lori murmured hesitantly, "but you're too late, I've already got an absolutely _wonderful_ guy in my life."

The ranger chuckled softly at this statement and offered up the rebuttal "I'm certain his feelings are quite mutual, milady." Afterwards, he gripped the hem of his hood and drew it back. Once removed, the ranger's true face was then revealed to be none other than Bobby Santiago Jr.; Lori's beloved boyfriend.

The lad's black hair had been replaced with long, honey-blonde locks. He was dressed in green faux leather armor, matching green faux leather boots, small fake elf ears, a hooded cloak that looked like it was made of hundreds of leaves and had a scarf that covered up his mouth and chin. On his back were a large wooden bow and a quiver full of toy arrows (not the sort with suction cups on the ends.)

On his hip was what looked like a curved sword resting inside of its hilt. Despite it being made of wood; the blade looked rather impressive, nonetheless. Despite all these changes in his appearance, Bobby's familiar sweet brown eyes remained the same.

"Heya, babe; welcome to Castle Greyhawk" he greeted casually, "what do you think, am I as hot as Legolas?" Alas, poor Lori was unable to respond due to the many thoughts swirling about in her head. On one hand, she was utterly flabbergasted that her otherwise "cool and trendy" boyfriend would be joining in on what she considered a "dorky" game...by _choice!_

But on the other hand, as she looked him over from top to bottom; Lori couldn't deny how sexy he looked in tights. Not to mention that the elf ears he wore accentuated his jaw line so perfectly and his hair was absolutely gorgeous, despite it (possibly) being a wig. When Lori was finally able to speak, a moment or so later, the only words she could muster were "buh...buh...buh...buh."

Meanwhile, the other Loud Sisters appeared frozen still with shock; each of them amazed to find Bobby in this sort of place. "Okay, dudes; this is getting super weird" Luna murmured, "first...we find our parents here; then...we find Lincoln, his friends, two of his school's staff members and now _Bobby?!"_ The rest of the Loud Sisters nodded silently in agreement, wondering how many other familiar faces were in this place.

Suddenly, someone popped up behind Lucy; causing the wee Goth to almost leap out of her shoes. Upon recovering, she took a look to see who it was that surprised her. It was a young boy around her age (possibly eight or nine years) with skin as black as pitch, red eyes, long hair as white as the snow and a cloak bearing colors of black and silver.

His vest was a mix of dark black and green colors, he wore a pair of fake black elf ears (almost similar to those that Bobby wore,) had a face mask drooped around his neck, dark green boots and matching gloves. Around his waist was what looked like a sort of chain weapon (which wrapped around him like a belt.) On the right side of his hip was a long knife inside of its sheath.

Beneath Silas cloak, Lucy could see that he was also wearing pointed shoulder armor of some kind and in his right hand; he held a long staff bearing a violet orb at the top. Much like how Lori felt, Lucy was shocked to find a fellow Goth and one of her crushes in this sort of place. Just then, Silas drew back his hood and did something she never would expect from him...he bowed courteously.

"Greetings, Human" he said softly, "I am Lokon Snowmane, master spy of Elesari and student in the Arcane arts." Upon listening to his dialogue and seeing his deliciously otherworldly attire, Lucy's otherwise calm heart began to pound like one-hundred war drums. "I...I-I...I am pleased to m-meet you, Lokon" she stuttered softly, as a blush formed upon her face; "I'm L-L-Lucy Loud, I...I like your cloak."

Soon, another Loud Sister had fallen victim to the atmosphere of this place; which made the remaining seven feel rather edgy. "We've gotta get outta here, dudes before another one of us gets roped into this" Luna said fearfully, "let's book it for the exit!" Not needing to be told twice, the group made a beeline for the exit door.

But just as it seemed like they were home free, something happened that caused Luna and Luan to stop in their tracks. Near the thrones, there was a band of minstrels playing; their music echoing softly and beautifully through the room. But as melodious as their instruments were, it was the _voices_ of these minstrels (two in particular) that brought them to a halt.

As Luan watched them perform, her gaze soon fell upon a young bard playing the lyre. He was dressed in a violet cloak, a green hat (both feathered and wide-brimmed,) wore a dark blue jacket with a golden hem, dark blue pants and faux leather boots. As the bard continued strumming his lyre and singing, Luan suddenly found herself swooning slightly.

_"OMG! That's the most gorgeous singing voice I've ever heard"_ she thought to herself, _"I've gotta see who it is that's playing up there."_ Luna gave out a yelp of surprise, as she watched her sister break away from the group. "SIS, DON'T BE SEDUCED BY THE JAMS" the young rocker cried, "the guy may sound cool, but he's still a nerd!

Alas, her cries went unheard to Luan's ears; as she continued towards the stage. Upon getting close enough, she began scoping out every member of the band to find her mystery performer. When she _did _find him, Luan's eyes almost popped out of her head. For she soon discovered it was none other than her beloved Benny performing with the band.

_"I had no idea Benny could play instruments" _Luan thought to herself, _"just like I had no idea he could sing so beautifully."_ As the young comedienne stood in place, inwardly swooning at her beau's performance; Luna finally arrived. "Brah, c'mon; we gotta get outta here" the pixie cut rocker begged, "stop with the goo-goo eyes and help me get the rest of the fam outta here or I...I..."

As Luna's eyes turned towards the band, her ranting swiftly faded into whispers. Within moments, she soon found herself enchanted by the music the group was playing (which was new to her due to it being an "old school style" of music. But more importantly, like Luan; Luna suddenly found herself drawn towards one of the band members.

At first glance; she appeared to be some sort of demon girl with brick-red skin, dark-blue hair that reached to her shoulder blades, pointed ears, eyes like golden orbs and thick, red lips. She wore a blue vest with a golden hem, had white sleeves over her forearms, blue leather boots, a white undershirt beneath her vest and blue pants that appeared as smooth as silk (which, to Luna's eyes, showed off her hips in "all the right ways.") But perhaps, her most astonishing features were her long tail and horns.

Said horns were stationed just above her eyes, both were thick and curved back behind her head (like a ram's horns.) The other feature in question was the demon girl's long tail, which stood out from the side beneath her cloak. It measured up to five feet long, was as thick as a log and had a sharp point at the end of it.

Despite this girl's demon-like appearance, Luna found herself utterly entranced by her. In time, the band's musical performance came to an end and the crowd happily applauded them. As the bard bowed graciously at everyone, his eyes soon fell upon Luan and he gasped.

"Uh...Hey, honey" Benny murmured shyly, "fancy meeting you here, uh...what brings you to Castle Greyhawk?" Luan said nothing in reply, for her mind was still caught up in a whirlwind of emotions. Some parts of her were shocked to find him in a place like this, while other parts were still mesmerized by his singing from earlier on.

Meanwhile, Luna was also lost in not only the beauty of the demon singer's voice but also in wondering just who she was. Once she had stored away her lute for the moment, the demon girl turned her head and spotted the pixie cut rocker staring at her blissfully. The girl smiled deviously at this sight and decided to toy with Luna.

"Greetings, manling" she said in a sultry tone, "I take it my skills have...entertained you?" As the demon approached, Luna saw her giving a little sway with every step she took. "U-Uh...yeah, brah; those were some r-r-rockin' tunes you were playing" the young rocker muttered shyly, "where did you learn to play like that?"

Deciding to be straight with her, the demon girl regaled Luna with tales of all the days she would play music in her leisure time. "But perhaps, I most enjoyed the days where I would join a band of humans and we would practice our musical skills together" she stated, "there was one in particular whom I've become quite drawn to." After that statement, the demon girl began to describe the "human" in question in great detail.

"From her odd yet unique clothing choices, her adorable freckles, the skirt 'round her waist to her beautiful pixie locks; this maid's image has haunted my slumber for many a night" she sighed blissfully, "not that I'm complaining, of course." Upon repeating the demon girl's words in her head, Luna raised her eyebrow quizzically. "Hold on a minute...sounds like you're talkin' about _me_, brah" she exclaimed, "but I've never even met you before, just who..."

Before she could finish her sentence; the demon girl suddenly grabbed Luna by her collar, pulled her forward and planted the wettest of kisses on the unsuspecting girl's lips. Upon breaking apart, seconds later; Luna found herself staggering about like a drunk on New Year's. _"Whoa...dude, that was wild" she thought dreamily, "but wait...there's only one person I know who can rock my world _that_ hard with a single kiss."_

After snapping out of her daze, Luna cast a glance over at the demon girl; who appeared to be bursting out with jolly laughter. "Boy, oh boy; you should see the look on your face" she gasped between breaths, "I haven't seen your eyes grow _that_ huge from a kiss in a long time, Lunes." Upon hearing the demon girl speak her nickname, Luna cautiously approached her and tried to get a closer look at her appearance.

That was when she spotted something sticking out slightly from the bangs area of her wig, a few small strands of blonde hair. It was then that Luna finally realized just who this girl was. But she still had difficulty in believing her own eyes.

"Sam...Samurai, is it really you" she muttered softly, "please, tell me I'm not seeing things." After letting out a soft giggle; the demon girl (who was revealed to be Luna's sweetheart, Sam Sharp) took Luna in her arms and nuzzled her cheek against hers. She did this for about five seconds, until both she _and_ Luna fell over each other onto the floor.

After they each shared a good laugh, the girls stared dreamily at each other. Then, Sam pushed herself back up onto her feet and helped Luna up as well. "Never thought you'd be able to figure out who I was yet, hon" Sam giggled, "what gave me away...was it the kiss?"

Luna smiled at her sweetheart and revealed that it was only a small part of the reveal. "That's a nice wig you've got on, Sammy...but it doesn't cover up very well" she stated, "I spotted a few hairs stickin' out, a moment ago." Sam gasped in surprise at this reveal and quickly did her best to tuck away the aforementioned hairs.

Once she had finished, Sam looked at Luna nervously and did her best to explain why she was there. "Back in my old neighborhood; my lil' bro, Simon used to love LARPing with some kids he used to hang with" she stated, "long story short; I had to baby-sit him, once and he talked me into joining him on one of their sessions." With a faint blush creeping onto her dimples; Sam revealed how at first, she was prepared to hate being part of LARPing.

"So, why _didn't_ you hate it" questioned Luna, "I mean, is dressing up in weird costumes all that great?" With great enthusiasm; Sam nodded and said that while she role-played, she felt like a completely different person. "Dressing up for LARPing or D&D allows me to express myself in ways that otherwise might not be 'socially acceptable'" she confessed, "plus...where else can you end up looking _this_ good?"

Upon saying this, Sam swiftly wrapped her tail around Luna's waist like a vaudeville Shepard's hook; causing the purple clad rocker to blush furiously. Mere seconds later, Luna snapped out of her daze and sheepishly complimented her girlfriend on her costume. "But if I might ask ya, Sammy...what are you supposed to be" inquired the young rocker, "are you some kinda devil woman, a demon...or something else?"

Upon hearing the question, Sam blushed beneath her makeup and apologized for failing to explain her look right away. "You're kinda, sorta right about the demon thing" she stated, "but in actuality, I'm what the game calls...a Tiefling." As Sam expected, this reveal caused Luna to stare at her blankly; while also giving a sort of confused head tilt.

At first, she couldn't help but smile; due to her girl looking like an adorable puppy with her head tilt. But after a while, Sam came back to her senses and went into detail on her character. "Since you're kinda new to this, Lunes; here's the best way I can describe my character" Sam stated, "Tieflings are like humans, sort of...but with just a touch of demonic blood inside of us."

Despite being unfamiliar with both the game and the nature of Sam's character, Luna was still found herself captivated by her. Maybe it was the clothing she wore, the color of skin makeup she had on or perhaps, the weirdly unique look of her horns. Either way, Luna felt that Sam looked twice as hot as before...but kept it in her head.  
Meanwhile, Luan questioned Benny if_ he_ was with everyone for the same reasons Sam was. "To a degree, yes" he stated plainly, "but it's only _half_ the story, I mainly got into this game after some theater students talked me into joining a session of theirs." He then added that because of his natural talents for acting, his friends suggested that Benny should try playing the game more often...as a bard.

"A bard...you mean like those dude from Medieval Times who wear those weird tunics and puffy collars" Lynn inquired, "why would _that_ be a character someone would want to choose for a game?" Upon hearing this, Lincoln turned towards his sister and smiled. "There's so much more to a bard in this game than that" he stated, "if you get a high enough number on the dice, you could hypnotize an enemy with a love song."

As Lincoln continued explaining the skills and perks of a bard character; to Luan's ears, it all sounded like white noise. All that she could think about was Benny and his earlier singing skills. If bards truly _were_ capable of hypnotizing people through music, it certainly worked on her.

Meanwhile, Lori looked at the crowd around her with a disinterested look in her eyes. _"Looks like I've lost a few more sisters to the dark side"_ she grumbled inwardly, _"I best leave for myself, before anyone else I know sees me here."_ With that thought in mind, Lori turned away from the crowd and proceeded back towards the main door.

Just as she was a mere two feet away from freedom, a familiar voice echoed in Lori's ears_. "Lori...Lori Loud, is that you"_ it asked eagerly, _"OMG, I never expected to find_ you _here!"_ As Lori turned her head, she already had a good theory as to who was calling her.

Then, without warning; she found herself being tightly squeezed by some girl in a cloak. After spinning Lori about for a few seconds, the girl finally put her down and collected herself. "Sorry...got a little excited there" the girl stated, "I just...of all places, I never would've guessed to find you _here._"

After she recovered from being spun around like a baton, Lori glared at the cloaked girl and demanded to know why she jumped her. "Whoops, forgot I still had this thing on" the girl chuckled, as she drew back her hood; "though...I'm surprised my voice didn't ring any bells for you." Once the girl's hood was pushed back; her long, blonde hair suddenly popped out and hung to the side.

Upon seeing the girl's hair, Lori almost fainted; for standing before her was her former rival/turned friend, Carol Pingrey. She was dressed in a violet covered sorcerer's robe with images of doves sewn onto the back, her hood was decorated with some stars and the hem of her sleeves and the bottom of her cloak were a bright green. Upon seeing Carol dressed this way, Lori (quite understandably) felt conflicted.

Part of her felt like laughing at the irony of seeing her in such a place. But another part of her felt that she looked rather stylish in her cloak. Either way, one question still needed answering; why was she here?

When Carol saw the confused look on her friend's face, she decided to try and explain herself. "Long story short, Lori; I've...been playing this game since I was little" she confessed, "we all have been." Confused, Lori asked just who Carol meant; when she mentioned "we?"

Then, out of the corner of her eye; they young blonde swore she spotted a gaggle of familiar faces on the far side of the room. The first of them was Whitney, who appeared to be dressed as some sort of assassin. Her skin was painted an odd yet strangely exquisite shade of purple, her eyes looked like white orbs, she wore form fitting leather body armor with mixes of red and blue colors, faux-iron arm armor, purple boots and a robe that was such a dark shade of black, she almost blended into the shadows.

The most astonishing part about Whitney's look was her hair. Instead of her usual poofy ponytail; it had, miraculously, been smoothed out. This was so they could fit a wig of long, silver hair overtop her head. With this new look of hers, Whitney appeared almost unrecognizable; to Lori's eyes.

Next to Whitney was another familiar face, Becky; who was dressed as some sort of...what was the word, hobbit. She wore long black boots on her feet, white pants, a leather vest over a white bodice, a red cloak, leather gloves and had a pair of fake pointed ears over her real ones. There was something else about her friend's look that Lori couldn't help but notice.

Upon studying Becky a second time, she couldn't help but think that she looked like a sort of...MMA fighter. _"Becky, a fighter...no way"_ Lori mentally chuckled, _"she's not the fighting type...unless there's a one-in-a-lifetime sale involved."_ The moment this thought came into her head, Lori immediately slapped herself.

"Snap out of it, Lori" she murmured firmly, "they may all _look_ like your friends but they've turned to the dark side...the _geeky_ side!" No sooner had she said that, Carol gave Lori a mildly disapproving stare and questioned her hatred for the game. "I used to be a bit like you, Lors" she stated, "there was once a time where, as I got older, I thought I was immature for liking this game."

For her next point, Carol directed her friend's gaze towards the crowd around them. "But by the time I got into High School, I saw that D&D had suddenly become mainstream" she said with joy, "nowadays, guys and gals of _any_ age, gender or social status can play." Despite her friend's enthusiasm, Lori continued to question Carol's love for the game.

Meanwhile, the other Loud Sisters all voiced the same concerns to their friends and loved ones. "I mean...all that math, all those books; how could it possibly be fun" questioned Lana, "it all sounds like homework, to me." Upon sensing the girls' skepticism, Lincoln and his crew decided to help them understand the game better.

"With all due respect, girls; there's a bit more to this here game than that" Clyde stated, "while there _is_ math involved, the game also requires the players' strong imaginations and the desire to take risks." Lynn couldn't help but scoff at the "taking risks" aspect of the game, before questioning how such things even happened. "I mean, all you guys do is throw dice across the table" she stated, "I don't see any risks there."

With this inquiry presented, Lynn Sr. decided to respond to it in another way. "Let me put it this way, hon" he began, "rolling a multi-sided die is no different than when you roll regular dice in other games." Rita nodded her head in agreement to her husband's words and decided to help with the explanation.

"Just like certain numbers reflect a player's positive or negative outcome in a game like Craps or Cho-han, over in Japan; the same thing applies in D&D" she stated, "sometimes, you may have to risk rolling for a high number." Despite feeling mildly intrigued, Lynn Jr. wasn't fully convinced and needed an example of her mother's point. "Let me tell you a story, then" Lynn Sr. interjected suddenly, "a story about a D&D session I was part of, when I was your age."

(Flashback to years earlier)

_The place was Lynn Sr.'s childhood home and in this house, he was taking part in a Dungeons & Dragons session with a group of friends. Among them were people like Kotaro, Howard McBride and a young Flip. During their session, Flip found himself confronted by a fearsome Manticore._

_ "I fly into an epic barbarian rage and swing at the beast with my sword" young Flip said in a voice that was a mix of high-pitched and deep, "ain't no way I can lose against this critter." Lynn, the team's Game Master stared firmly at his friend and told him not to get cocky. "This manticore is incredibly strong, dude" he said warningly, "you'll need to roll a perfect 24 to beat him."_

_ This didn't seem to make Flip feel all that worried, much to Lynn's surprise. "I can do this, guys" the boy said confidently, "all it takes is a good shake and a well-timed flick of the wrist." With that said, Flip took the 24-sided dice and began to shake it in-between his hands. _

_ After a while, he finally sent it rolling and the scene seemed to go into slow motion. As the dice bounced slightly across the table, everyone watched it with eager anticipation. Then, as it came to a stop; it looked as though Lady Luck _would_ grant Flip the blessing of a 24 roll._

_ But then, at the last moment; the dice tipped over and landed showed off the number 12 instead. The other three boys gazed at the die in shock, while Flip simply gulped a nervous lump down his throat; worried about what would happen next. "Sorry...but that's not enough to save you, Flip" Lynn Sr. sighed, "while your sword _ does_ strike at the Manticore's hide, all it does is leave a scratch...and makes the beastie angry."_

_ In the end, Flip's character was ultimately struck down by the manticore and eaten alive. Upon seeing his barbarian fall, Flip flew into a real-world rage and ripped his shirt off in anguish; which caused him to be sent to the Principal's Office._

(Back to the Present)

By the end of the story, Lynn Jr. had a minor understanding of the risk-taking aspects of D&D now. "But still, it's all just in your heads" she said firmly, "if you can't experience the game head on, how is it fun." These words suddenly caused Lana and Lola to glare up at their sister in offense.

"We use our imaginations all the time and we have loads of fun" the wee pageant princess stated, "maybe if you had one, you'd be able to understand." Lynn growled at her little sister and was prepared to lash out at her...until Clyde intervened. "Everybody has an imagination, no matter how old you are" he stated, "all it takes is a little effort and concentration."

To help prove his bestie's words rung true, Lincoln asked his sisters to each close their eyes. "This isn't going to be a prank, is it" questioned Luan, "because pranking people while their eyes are closed is _my_ shtick." Lincoln disregarded her comment and instructed everyone to close their eyes, once again.

Reluctantly, the Loud Sisters did as they were told and each shut their eyes good and tight. "Okay...now, I want you all to imagine yourselves in the following place" he murmured, "you all find yourselves trapped inside of a dark room, the rank stench of mildew emanates from the stone walls around you." While their eyes were still closed, the girls instinctively began sniffing through their noses.

Yet each of them speculated that it wasn't wet stones they'd be smelling but rather, Lily's diaper. "Okay, now what" questioned Lori, "does something attack us, do we have to fight it?" Lincoln chuckled at the suggestion and retorted in asking "how can you fight, if you're hands are chained to the walls?"

This reveal caused the girls to gasp in alarm, before they started feeling at their wrists; hoping not to discover metal cuffs around them. Upon realizing that they weren't actually cuffed to anything, the Loud Sisters sighed with relief. "What's the deal, dude" grumbled Luna bitterly, "why did ya have to go and spook us like that?"

Lincoln and his pals collectively held up their hands in defense and assured the rocker they did no such thing. "You only _thought_ you were handcuffed, after Lincoln mentioned it" Rusty retorted, "the rest was just all in your heads." Upon realizing this; the girls blushed deeply in embarrassment, ashamed that they allowed themselves to be tricked so easily.

"To tell you the truth, girls; that all felt kinda...cool" Lucy murmured, "I mean, I actually felt like I was in that room Lincoln described; after I closed my eyes." Truthfully, the others couldn't help but agree with her. In spite of it all just being in their heads; with the aid of their imaginations, the girls truly felt like they were prisoners (something Lucy secretly wished was true.)

"Okay, so you might be right on the power of imagination thing" Lynn consented, "but what are you supposed to do, play the whole game with your eyes closed?" Lincoln and his parents chuckled heartily at the young jock's suggestion and prepared themselves to explain the next aspect of the game. Then, all of a sudden; a woman (who was actually Mrs. Bernardo) dressed up as a medieval town crier suddenly appeared in the room and blew through a wooden blowing horn.

After blowing it twice, she held her head high and shouted "the hour is now 9:50, ten minutes until ten of the clock!" This proclamation caused everyone to groan loudly with displeasure. "Nice one, Loud" grumbled Mr. Grouse, who was dressed as a sort of human/dragon hybrid; "because of your girls' snoopin' we missed out on tonight's game!"

Upon mentioning about the girls' intrusion, the crowd reminded the council members that they had yet to make good on their plan to punish them for trespassing. With this issue now back on the table; Lynn Sr. and Co. knew they had to pass their judgment, before they would call it a night. So, they slipped their hoods back over their heads and resumed their roles as the Council of Game Masters.

"Lords and Ladies of Castle Greyhawk, hear us" Lynn/Game Master Acheron exclaimed, causing everyone to turn towards him. "After much deliberation; we, the Council of Game Masters have reached a unanimous verdict" the council members said in unison, "for their crimes of trespassing, leaving their home without proper consent and placing a tracker upon their brother; we find the Loud Sisters...GUILTY!" The crowd cheered wildly with joy, upon hearing this decision; while the Loud Sisters lowered their heads in shame.

"Whatever their verdict is, it won't compare to what I'll do to Lisa for putting trackers on us" growled Lori, "I mean...what do you literally think we are, animals?!" In response; she muttered softly how, in _her_ eyes, anyone with an intelligence quotient below her own was seemed no better than a knuckle-scrapping primate. Before anyone could verbally berate the girl for her comments, the room echoed with the sounds of wood slamming against stone.

Each of the ten girls turned towards the council and saw their mother glaring mildly beneath her hood. After ten seconds of silence, the council delivered their choice of punishment upon the Loud Sisters. "Because you have been found guilty; we, the Council, leave you with this sentence" she said stoically, "firstly, you are to remove any and all tracking devices from each member of your family and have them destroyed."

Lil' Lisa gasped in horror at this, before begging her mother to reconsider. "If it is 'wrong,' 'illegal,' or 'immoral' to have a means of tracking someone; should they get lost...you might as well send me to prison" she grumbled, "honestly...next thing I know, you'll disapprove of me studying everyone's scat samples as well!" As everyone grimaced and groaned loudly at the mention of "scat," Leni came close to questioning what the word meant...before Lori gently silenced her.

"Your family are human beings, child; not animals to be tested upon by your improper use of scientific study" Pop-Pop/Game Master Karuk said firmly, "as such, they are not meant to be tracked like common strays." Before Lisa could protest further, Lynn Sr. put his foot down on the matter (both figuratively _and_ literally speaking) and demanded she followed suite on the order. "If you refuse to oblige, every piece of your lab equipment will be removed from our home and you will be banned from every faction of the Royal Woods Scientific Community" Lynn Sr./Master Acheron said threateningly, "so...what say you, child?"

Despite every thought in her mind telling her how she could easily "persuade" (or threaten) her father into forgetting about the punishment, Lisa relented. "I promise to remove the devices, Father" she murmured sadly, "though...I say again that you're not seeing the bigger picture with them." The council's response to her words was a collective and swift slam of their staves bases, which sent a resounding echo throughout the room.

After Lisa was rendered silent, the council prepared to deliver the next part of their judgment. "Secondly, for trespassing on the royal grounds and insulting our game; we felt it is deserving of a more...ironic form of punishment" Mrs. Johnson/Game Mistress Agathe chuckled, "therefore, we sentence you to play an entire session of Dungeons & Dragons here with us until said session is finished." After hearing this sentence, some of the girls felt rather relieved.

"That's it, we have to play a game with you guys" Lola laughed, "that doesn't sound that bad at all." The rest of the Loud Sisters agreed and proclaimed that they might be scot free in a matter of hours. "Don't count your chickens before they've hatched, babe" Bobby/Alexi stated, "the game's world is so big with so many challenges, most sessions I once played lasted almost a whole year."

With this reveal, the girls realized that their chances of freedom have now been shattered. After collectively falling to their knees and crying "NOOOO" in despair (with the exceptions of Leni and Lily,) the girls found themselves being escorted out of the hall by the same armored guards from before. "Hold up" Lynn Jr. called out suddenly, causing everyone to freeze in place; "once we get the tracking things removed, where do we go then?"

The other Loud Sisters murmured in agreement, realizing that driving the van or riding their bikes back home would take hours. "It's simple, you will stay here with all of us" Rita stated, "this facility is fully accommodated and has enough space for all of us to sleep in." The girls looked at one another silently and smiled, thinking things might not be so bad here.

"Of course, since you've just joined us; there are only a small handful of extra rooms left" Lynn added suddenly, "which means you'll all have to share them, just like at the house." Upon hearing this reveal, the girls' smiles faded into looks of annoyance. It was difficult enough sharing rooms at home; now, they had to do it _here_ as well.

After the matter was settled, the two guards resumed leading the Loud Sisters out of the room. A moment later, Lincoln came following after them; still dressed in his Dwarf outfit. As she watched her brother pursuit them, Lori suddenly shuddered with dismay; thinking that she'll soon be dolled up like him and everyone else in this place.

(Line Break)

Moments later, the girls and Lincoln were inside of one of the establishment's restrooms; where Lisa (despite her wishes otherwise) was forced to remove everyone's tracking devices from their persons. Lincoln was the first to be called in and once the procedure was done, Lincoln left the room with a relieved grin on his face. "Maybe now, I'll have some form of privacy in my life" he stated, "which means you guys can't follow me around anymore."

Each of the Loud Sisters simply gave him a grumble in response, not because they were annoyed by his words. Rather, they were dreading the idea of each of their beautiful hairdos being ruined. In time, Lori was called in and she took her seat upon the toilet; while Lisa prepared her tools.

"I suppose we literally kinda deserved this" Lori said while looking at the viewer, "for shadowing our brother, we're not only forced to get our hair cut in most improper of ways...but we're being forced to take part in a game that could scar us socially forever!" As these grim thoughts filled her head, Lori's mind soon backtracked to moments earlier. Even after witnessing everything for herself, she still couldn't believe what happened.

In the span of one night; Lori and her sisters discovered that her parents, their brother, their grandfather, _many_ of their closest friends and even sweethearts were all taking part in a game that has worshipped by nerds since the '70's. She didn't know whether to scream, laugh, cry or do some combination of the three; Lori was so confused. At the same time, though; she couldn't deny just how happy everyone looked while playing.

Lori was especially captivated by Bobby's behavior, when he was in character. To her, he acted like something out of a Shakespeare play; which made him all the dreamier. "Maybe things might not be as bad as we think, in the morning" Lori sighed while addressing the viewer, "but even if they will be, my sisters and I are Louds and that means we're tough enough to handle anything!"

The moment she said this, Lori heard the sounds of electronic buzzing from beside her. As she turned her head slowly, the eldest Loud Sister's eyes widened in horror at the sight of Lisa holding an electric razor. "Just hold still, Lori" the wee genius said stoically, "the shaving won't be so bad...it's the tracking device removal process that might be a tad painful."

As the razor eased slowly towards her head, Lori hoped that her hair would grow back quick enough in the morning; before the game would begin.

(First AN: And with that, the Louds have joined the party...almost. Come the morning *in the story's universe,* each of the girls will be properly suited up and brought into the game. But what will the future hold for them.

Will they hate the game the whole way through or...will they, by some twist of Lady Fate, come to love it as much as everyone else? Tune in next time, to find out.

(Second AN: The song that Lincoln and his friends are singing is a song made by YOGCAST Lewis & Simon, which originally was a simple silly phrase one of YOGCAST exclaimed while playing a game of Minecraft. This song was later covered by an Italian Power Metal band named Wind Rose. After hearing both versions for several days, I felt compelled to put it in the chapter; especially since Lincoln and his pals are all Dwarf characters)

(Third AN: The phrase Bobby says _"__Amatúlië_ _Hiril vuin__"_ means "Welcome/Blessed Arrival, My Lady" in Elvish. I felt it necessary to use that, when Bobby greeted Lori; considering the type of character he is.)

(Fourth AN: The Castle Farms building that the game is happening in is not only a real world venue building in Michigan. But it's also a place I've mentioned in my first Loud House story; Ace Savvy and the Full House Gang: Checkmate. I thought the place would be the perfect spot for their D&D session.)

(Final AN: The tracking chip thing is based on a moment from the Loud House episode Job Insecurity, where it's revealed that Lisa has each member of her family tracked...while smiling wickedly. If she wasn't already being punished with having to join in on a D&D session with everyone and to remove every chip, it feels like such invasion of privacy demands a stricter punishment...what do you all think?"


	4. Chapter Three: Suit Up

Suit Up

The following morning, everyone arose from their slumber and headed down to the dining room for breakfast; courtesy the establishment's kitchen staff (Lynn Sr. volunteering as one of them.) Meanwhile, the Loud Sisters all gathered inside of Lori's room and gazed at their reflections in the mirror with great sorrow. "I literally don't know which is worse, the fact that we were wearing trackers...or the hideous state of our hair" groaned Lori, as she touched the bare patch on her head; "I look like I got hit with a with a buzz saw blade!"

The rest of the Loud Sisters grumbled in agreement while gazing at their own reflections. "I just spent two hours the other day brushing my hair too" whined Lola, "and now, it's ruined...all because of Lisa and her stupid chip!" Upon mentioning this, the other nine sisters each cast ice-cold glares towards the young lady in question; who was in the midst of storing away the tools she used last night.

"There is no point in you all scorning me anymore, Sisters" Lisa sighed dejectedly, "Mother and Father have given me enough of an earful last night." Unfortunately for the wee "genius," the other Loud Sisters felt she hadn't been punished enough. But there was little they could do about it now.

As of today, their main focus was to serve out the "punishment" their parents placed upon them last night; which was to take part in a Dungeons & Dragons gaming session. Of course, with Friday night's session being a bust; the girls had to join in tomorrow night. But until that time, they would be joining everyone at the table for breakfast; hoping there wouldn't be any bad blood between them and everyone else in the building.

At the same time, they were equally worried about going out in public with half their heads shaved off. The one who didn't seem all that worried about it was Lincoln, who was bunking with Clyde in _his_ room. "Siblings, I believe we are left with three choices" Lisa interjected, "we either go and face everyone looking as we do, go into the dressing rooms and try and find wigs/proper headwear to cover our heads or..."

Before mentioning the third option, Lisa reached inside of her sweater and revealed a small bottle. On the paper, everyone could see the words "experimental hair growth serum" in bold lettering on the paper. Upon seeing the bottle, everyone (quite understandably) went ballistic.

"After what we've just learned last night, you think we'll trust your science gizmos and whatever again" screeched Lola, "no thanks, Lil' Einstein!" Rather than listen to their complaints; Lisa simply took the eye drop nozzle out of the bottle, collected a small amount of the serum and dripped a small bit of it atop Leni's head. After that, all seemed quiet...too quiet for the girls' liking.

"Looks like your serum's a dud, Poindexter" Lynn groaned, "anymore bright ideas in that head of yours?" Lisa said nothing in reply, as she proceeded to countdown from three on her fingers. When she reached the end, there was a light rumble and then...POOF!

In an instant, a thick head of hair popped up atop Leni's head; almost knocking off her sunglasses. When she took a look at herself in the mirror, Leni let out a near ear-shattering squeal. "OM GOSH, GUYS; my hair's back" she cried with delight, "and it looks prettier than ever!"

Sadly, the others didn't appear so easily convinced. "Just wait; any second now, something bad is going to happen" Lynn murmured, "maybe hair will start sprouting off every part of her body." Lisa sighed at her elder sister's speculative nature and assured her that the serum did no such thing to organic creatures...anymore. "I mean...when I tested the first batch, it was on Cliff" she murmured, "which resulted in mine and Lily's bedroom being filled to bursting with cat fur."

This reveal caused the family to exclaim "oh" in unison; as they recalled a time, months ago where every trashcan was "mysteriously" filled with excessive amounts of Cliff's fur. "It _did_ take me a while to perfect the formula...twice as long to clean up the large amounts of fur in our home" Lisa muttered, "but in the end, I've perfected it." Upon looking at Leni's restored mane of blonde locks, they realized she was telling the truth and wanted some as well.

After a while, the bottle was almost empty and everyone's hair was fully restored. That is, the _girls'_ hair was restored; realizing that Lincoln might still have a bald spot of his own. "Let us go meet with him in the dining room" Lisa stated, "the sooner we join everyone else, the sooner this weekend will be finished and we can return home."

With this said, everyone brushed their newly formed hair clean and headed down for breakfast.

(Line Break)

Moments later, the girls finally joined everyone else in the dining hall and were surprised to see them out of their secondary attire from last night. "It's super weird to wake up see everyone look so...normal this morning" Lynn quipped, "figured you guys slept in those costumes." Several of the adults chuckled heartily at the statement and said she wasn't too far off.

"Sometimes, we _do_ sleep in our costumes, helps us remain in character" Rita stated, "but others choose to wait until after dinner to get dressed, specifically those of us who wear wigs and fake beards." As if on cue, Lincoln and his group of pals returned from the breakfast buffet table and took their seats.

As the girls ate in silence, they slightly listened in on everyone else's conversations. While some of said conversations consisted of typical things; questions about how everyone slept, plans for the week ahead and general silly stories. Other conversations were about random topics about the night's upcoming D&D session.

Through the latter discussions; the girls all felt, understandably confused and began to wonder if this was all just a dream. But then, Mrs. Bernardo suddenly burst into the dining hall (still dressed in her Crier's garb) and proceeded to blow a small tune from a long horn. "Morning announcements; due to yesterday evening's unforeseen intrusions, the gaming session has been rescheduled for this evening" she exclaimed dramatically, "may the Fates be kind to all our adventurers, when that time arrives."

Alas, Mrs. Bernardo's message almost went unheard; due to the sounds of her horn echoing loudly off the walls. At the same time, the noise almost caused the other diners to nearly go deaf. Upon recovering, everyone glared daggers at the doorway where Mrs. Bernardo stood earlier.

"Wow, someone is _really_ committed to their role" Lynn grumbled while chewing on some scrambled eggs, "good thing the rest of you isn't like that." After taking a sip of her OJ, Margot turned too her friend and simply shook her head. "Don't be so sure about that, girlfriend" she stated, "after a while, some of us _really_ get invested into both the game and our characters."

This statement caused both Lori and Lynn to roll her eyes sarcastically in disbelief. Even now, they still questioned how so many people they knew could get roped into this game; let alone become so invested in it. Somehow, in that moment; Margot could sense her friend's disbelief and came up with an idea.

"Maybe you'll feel differently after breakfast" she said coyly, "once we get you and your sisters suited up." This statement not only caused Lynn to suddenly stop eating but the rest of her sisters as well. "Suited up, you make it sound like we're going to war" Lynn murmured, "not that I'm complaining, I _LOVE_ me a good tussle!"

Everyone sweated nervously at the young jock's words and then, Mrs. Johnson stepped in and informed her that the fighting will only occur within the game. "What she means is before you play with us, we have to help you create your characters" she explained, "that also means you will need the proper outfits to wear, while playing said characters; just like the rest of us." In an instant, the prospect of dressing up in costume created mixed reactions amongst the Loud Sisters.

Some of them (like Lynn, Lana, Lucy and Lisa) felt a sensation of dread flow through them; while others like Luna and Luan welcomed the idea of a new look. But for Lori, Leni and Lola; this news caused them to think one unanimous thought..."MAKEOVERS!" Once again, both the room and the ears of everyone within rang loudly from the loud echoes that reverberated off the walls.

When the noises died down; Lynn Sr. informed the girls that there would indeed be "makeovers" in store for them...once they've all finished eating, that is. "Oh, right; totes sorry about that everybody" Leni said with a shy giggle, "I just get excited about dressing up." With that business settled, everyone returned to their meals and earlier discussions.

(Line Break)

After everyone had eaten their fill and the tables had been cleared, everyone suddenly placed large books in front of the Loud Girls. "AW! Daddy, I thought you said we were going to dress up for our game" whined Lola, "you didn't say anything about having to read stuff!" After Lincoln took a moment to remind her sister of her new love of reading, he opened up the book to a chapter with many unique creatures.

"This isn't really a 'textbook' textbook, Sis" he explained, "at least, not a school kind..._this _is a characters guide." Upon mentioning this, Lincoln began to explain how every new player chooses a character to play as from this book. "You can be anyone of these you want" he said happily, "you can be an Elf, a Dwarf, a Centaur, a Goblin...anything."

Their interests piqued, both Lana and Lola began scanning the book for what they wanted to play as. After a minute of searching, they each let out a gasp and proclaimed "I WANT THIS ONE!" When everyone looked at the book, they saw that the twins were pointing to what looked like some sort of feline humanoid creature.

"Cool, the Tabaxi; that's a unique creature to pick" Clyde stated, "they're agile, can run up to thirty feet, they're stealthy...and they have night vision!" Upon hearing these traits, Lana couldn't help but beam with excitement. "Sounds like the kind of stuff Cliff would have, if _he_ were human" she stated, "that's definitely mine!"

Upon hearing this, Lola quickly began to argue with her sister; demanding that _she _should play a Tabaxi. "Just look at how beautiful their fur is and how elegant their bodies look" she swooned with delight, "if anything, this thing was made for _me!_" In an instant, everyone feared that a vicious fight would break out between the two of them and tried to help stop them.

"Now, girls...calm down" Rita said warily, "you can _both_ play as this sort of creature...but one of you might have to play as a male." Upon hearing this, the twins ceased their bickering and turned up towards their mother. "Wait...can we really play as different genders" questioned Lola, "I thought all of us had to be girls."

There was a lighthearted chuckle amongst the crowd and Pop-Pop volunteered to help put their fears to rest. "Quite the contrary, dearies; a player can be whatever gender they want in the game" he explained, "one time, Scoots played a session against me and some pals and she played as a male orc barbarian." After taking a moment to push the image of a male scoots out of their heads, the girls reached their decision; both of them would be Tabaxis but Lana would play as a male.

With the twins' characters chosen, the rest of the Loud Girls began seeking out things _they_ wanted to be. Almost immediately, Luna chose to go with a human; mainly because she didn't want to endure too much makeup work. For Lori, she chose to be an elf; after seeing how cute Bobby looked as one.

Upon looking over the book herself for a moment, when her turn came; Lynn saw something that almost made her eyes pop from her head. It had the head, trunk and tusks of an African Bull Elephant. But it had a human-like body, stood over six and a half feet in height and their limbs appeared as thick as tree trunks.

"Dude...that is the single sickest-looking critter I've ever seen in my life" Lynn gasped in awe, "what the heck is it and give one to me now!" Lynn Sr. chuckled heartily at her and began to tell her about the creature known as the Loxodon. "These babies are a sort of elephant humanoid creature that live in massive jungle cities of stone."

As her dad continued, Lynn found herself becoming entranced with the nature of these "Loxodons." They lived a sort of Matriarchal form of government, had strong warriors within both genders and were known to be quite spiritual creatures. She was particularly intrigued by the bonuses a Loxodon has.

"Not only are these guys strong enough to lift pretty heavy loads, their skin is also pretty tough too" Lincoln added, "they can survive arctic temperatures, have a strong armor class and when they charge at you...well, you best get out of the way of their tusks!" After hearing all this, Lynn began scratching her chin in contemplation and looked down at the Loxodon's picture. In an instant, her imagination blended some of _her_ likeness with that of the creature; which caused Lynn to smile wide.

"A race of tough cookies that's super tough, super strong and has a government all about girl power...sign me up" she decreed, "but do I have to wear the trunk?" Lincoln chuckled slightly at his elder sister and assured her they would work something out. Next, he turned his attention towards Lucy; who mentioned how she wished to be a sort of demonic creature.

"Tell me, Lincoln; are there any vampires, zombies or werewolves in this" she inquired, "if so, I'd like to be one of those." With a soft frown, Lincoln shook his head and said such creatures were only used as enemies in the game. "However, there _is_ the possibility of your character _earning_ vampire or werewolf abilities in the game" he said suddenly, "but that only happens if you find yourself bitten by either one."

Despite the technicality, Lucy held onto the hope that she could become her desired creature and began searching for something else. Then, at that moment; she spotted something in the book that almost caused her bangs to stand up on end. At first glance, it looked like some sort of human-raven hybrid.

But then, Lucy noticed that the creature didn't have any wings; just typical human-like arms. The only difference was that instead of fingernails, the creature possessed sharp talons at the ends of their fingertips. They also had bird-like feet, shabby looking clothes and long beaks protruding out from their hoods.

When Lincoln saw what she was looking at, he decided to give her the "deets" on the creature. "That there is called a Kenku, a sort of human-bird hybrid" he explained, "they're incredibly fast, they're stealthy and have excellent slight of hand skills...if that's what you want them to do." Feeling mildly intrigued, Lucy asked to learn other kinds of facts about Kenku.

"Sadly, they're so mysterious that very little is known about them" Rusty stated, "but one of the strangest facts about them is their skill at mimicry." Upon hearing this, Lana asked if that meant they copied people like parrots do. "Well...kind of but not exactly" Lincoln replied, "Kenku just mimic whatever voices or sounds they hear...like if someone's hammering nearby, they'll copy that sound right down to the letter."

In spite of this reveal, it didn't diminish Lucy's interest in this creature and decided to make it her character of choice. "Next up, why don't we go with Luan" Rita suggested, "what would _you_ like to be, sweetheart?" For a few moments, the young comedienne began looking at the creature guide in silence.

For a moment, she almost considered going the same route Luna did in choosing a human character. But then, she saw something that made her bust a gut. "What is it, Luan" questioned Lincoln, "what's so funny?"

With all the willpower she could muster, the comedienne pointed to a picture in the book; one that showed what looked like (in her head) a giant medieval version of a Ninja Turtle. "Oh, that's a Tortle" Clyde said suddenly, "as you can see, they are a race of turtle-like creatures, they're known to be quite strong...but at the same time, peaceful." After hearing the description, several of the Loud Sisters proclaimed that the "Tortle" looked and sounded like an average tortoise.

"Actually, ladies; a Tortle is capable of much more" Mrs. Johnson stated, "their shells are thicker, which grants them a slight armor bonus; they have excellent survival skills and can hold their breath underwater for an hour at a time...despite them not being natural swimmers." While some of the creature's stats didn't seem all that impressive (to some others,) Luan still found it unique and decided to go with it as her character race. "Excellent...now, all that remains is for Leni and Lisa to choose _their_ races" Principal Huggins exclaimed, "see anything you like, ladies?"

At first, Lisa felt the urge to try and persuade her parents to exempt her from having to play the game; still viewing it as something "beneath her." But then, she gazed down at the creatures guide and saw something that almost made her glasses slip off her face. "By Newton's Apple, I was not expecting this" she cried with shock, "dear Brother...why did you not tell me earlier that automatons exist within this game's world?!"

Confused, Lincoln borrowed the book from her and looked tried to seek out the "automaton" in question. When he found it, Lincoln chuckled slightly and shook his head at Lisa. "I'm afraid you're only half right, Sis" he said softly, "but that's not a 'robot' in a typical sense, what you're looking at is a Warforged."

Now, despite her age; Lisa often prided herself on her genius intellect. There was little next to nothing that her IQ level couldn't comprehend. Yet when it came to things like keeping secrets, social interactions and in this case, imaginative roleplay; there was (as she put it) not enough room in her brain to understand such things.

As such, Lisa tilted her head sideways in confusion; almost in the same exact manner a dog would. As if sensing her confusion, Lincoln explained that Warforged is sort of like a robot (or an Automaton in Lisa's language.) But there were many things that made them different from the typical machine men in science fiction media.

"For starters, Warforged are made up of a mix of metal and wood" Lincoln stated, "the wood, as you can see, serves as the Warforge's muscle structure, while the metal makes up its face and mild body coverage." The second aspect of the race in question was something that almost made Lisa burst with uproarious laughter.

"With all due respect, I've tried to enter into this with as open of a mind my own mind would allow" she sniggered, "but how can you expect me that these 'Warforged' are beings powered by magic?" There was an understandable groan of mild annoyance from both the young and old players, upon hearing this. Then, Lincoln did his best to explain this element of the race to his sister.

"Let me put it to you this way, Lisa" he began, "a Warforged is a sort of...living machine, it gains its sentience through a means of arcane energies." Again and again, Lincoln tried to help Lisa understand the nature of the Warforged. But like a book nerd viewing a film adaptation of their favorite story, she couldn't help but pick apart the pieces she found "illogical."

By the end of breakfast, however; Lisa had finally decided to throw caution to the wind and go along with the creature choice. Now, the only one who had yet to find _her_ character was Leni; who was gazing at the book as if it were written in a dead language. When she came up with an idea, what she said was "I want to be the Game Master; to which her parents said that the position was already filled.

To help ease the confusion, Lincoln presented Leni a list of races that had yet to be chosen (at least, amongst her other sisters.) This seemed to be a great deal of help for her and Leni happily thanked Lincoln for his kindness with a hug. "Okay, let's see; which one of these thingies should I play as" she murmured while skimming over the paper, "I think I'll piiiiiick..._this one!"_

Upon making her declaration, Leni jabbed her finger lightly atop of a collection of beings with various skin colors. Some of them had skin tones as red as blood while others had pigmentations that were light and beautiful blues or snow whites. "OM GOSH! Check this out" Leni squealed with delight, "I had no idea Aladdin's friend, Genie was in this game!"

When the other girls looked at the image, they shouted mixed exclamations of either shock or amazement. "Wow, Leni wasn't kiddin'" Luna murmured, "I had no idea you could be a Genie in this game," Upon hearing this, Lincoln took the book from the girls and explained everything he could about the Genie race (or as the book also called them, Djinn.)

"Long story short, they're kind of like the guys you've seen in the movies" he stated, "but not all of them grant wishes, despite possessing mystical powers" After tagging in, Lynn Sr. added that djinn also possessed knowledge in both magic _and_ combat. This all seemed to spark Leni's enthusiasm even higher and thus resulted in her choosing the Djinn as her character.

Meanwhile, everyone else mentally questioned if the girl understood what she had just agreed to. "Okay, then; that takes care of that" Mrs. Johnson stated, "now that everyone's picked a race for the character, it's time for classes." This statement caused many of the Loud Sisters to groan loudly...with the exception of Lisa, of course.

"Hold on, girls; Mrs. Johnson doesn't mean _school_ classes" Rita assured, "she means it's time to pick your characters' professions/skills." There was a soft murmur of understanding amongst the girls, as Principal Huggins presented the class selection sheet before them. "Now, the game allows you all to pick one or two classes for your characters" he explained, "try your best to vary each of your choices, if you can."

Everyone nodded in understanding and they began to look over the sheet, starting with Lori. "OOOH! How about this one, Mage" she exclaimed, "not only will I get to use magic but I get to wear a super chic robe." The moment these words passed her lips, Lori suddenly started blinking in confusion.

_"Did I literally just say that out loud" _she thought to herself worriedly, _"oh, God...I'm becoming one of _them!_" _Much to her relief, however; no one seemed to notice what she had said and chose instead to focus on the paper. "Obviously I'm going for the big guns" Lynn chuckled, "Barbarian/Fighter for me, baby!"

Next came Luan, who decided to follow in her beau's footsteps and chose a Bard as he first of two classes. "For my second one, I think I'll pick...a rogue" she stated, "but I plan on stealing laughs than purses, during the game." The crowd (sans Benny) groaned at Luan's poor attempt at a joke, while the girl in question simply chuckled aloud to herself.

The next to choose their classes was Lucy; who, after seeing that the mage was taken already, decided to go with Sorcerer. "Sorcerers are said to be in tune with mystical forces the moment they are born" Lucy murmured with a soft smile, "I feel like _I've_ been in tune with such forces the moment _I_ was born as well." This statement was so bizarre coming from one so young that it caused several people to question Lucy's family what she was talking about.

"My sister thinks she's able to speak with the dead" Lynn murmured with an eye roll, "just one of her weird quirks...it's best not to question it."

Next up was Lisa, who was anxious to see if there were any positions that best suited her natural abilities. "Pray tell, everyone; what is this class here" she asked, "what is an...'Artificer?'" After taking a moment to recover from the shock of Lisa lacking knowledge at something (for once,) Zach approached and decided to explain the class to her.

"As an Artificer myself, I can tell you that the class is perfect for hands-on people like us" he stated, "basically; they're a sort of mechanical life form who are able to create potions through alchemy, infuse ordinary items with magic...they can even create Bags of Holding for themselves or their allies to use." When some of the Loud Sisters asked what a "bag of holding" was, Lincoln replied in describing it as a sort of travel bag. "If you've done a good enough job making it, your bag of holding can hold any item of any size inside" he stated, "it's like having a bottomless purse or shopping bag."

While she wasn't particularly swayed by the "shopping bag" description of it, something about the Bag of Holding's capabilities intrigued Lisa. "And you say that as an 'Artificer,' I can upgrade otherwise useless items" she inquired, "like say...some broken pieces of machinery or a discarded gauntlet from a suit of armor?" Zach simply smiled at her and asked Liam to show something he was hiding behind his cloak.

When Liam revealed this "item" to everyone, the Loud Sisters collectively shrieked in alarm; for the "item" in question resembled what looked like a skeletal arm made of steel. Sensing that his surprise spooked the girls a little, Liam quickly revealed that it was simply a prosthetic arm he wore over his real one. "Neat, huh" he asked, "Zach made it in shop class, before school ended for the summer."

Slowly, the girls' shock gave way to confusion and they asked why he made such a "disturbing" thing. "It's all part of the backstory for Liam's character" Zach replied, "he lost his arm after defending his home from an army of goblin raiders and replaced it with a metal one, thus calling himself Floki Ghost-Hand." In that moment, the girls didn't know whether to feel impressed or disgusted from such a story.

"This Artificer class intrigues me" murmured Lisa, "I would like it to be my Warforge's class, if you please." Lynn and Co. discussed this for a moment and then, they each gave the young lady a small nod in agreement. Following after her, Lana and Lola quickly sought out for _their_ desired classes.

"Ooh! I wanna be one of these guys" Lana exclaimed while pointing at a figure in a green robe, "he has loads of animals with him, which feels like the class was made for me!" Upon seeing what the girl was looking at, Lincoln couldn't help but agree. "Figured you'd be drawn to the druid, Lana" Lincoln stated, "they have communicate with animals, can call upon nature to help defend people _and_ if they're strong enough, they can shapeshift."

When Lana asked what shapeshifting was, Lincoln described it as turning into any kind of animal you can think of. "ANY ANIMAL I CAN THINK OF" the young grease monkey cried with glee, "like...I could become a frog like Hopps or a bat like Fangs?" While everyone _did_ not in agreement to her inquiry, they encouraged Lana to think bigger.

"If your character is a strong enough level, he could become much bigger critters" Liam stated, "not as big as dragons, unfortunately...but you _can_ briefly change into a grizzly and kick all kinds of butt!" If Lana wasn't excited before; by now, she was so overcome with delight that she was positively glowing. At the same time, she reminded everyone that she wanted to be a _male_ Tabaxi druid; so as not to have anyone confuse her or Lola's characters.

Speaking of whom, the time came for the wee pageant princess to choose_ her_ class. "Seeing as how princesses aren't classes in this game; I'll need to find something else that best represents me" she murmured, "sassy, wily and yet tough if pushed around!" Upon hearing the girl's words, everyone immediately came to a unanimous decision; Rogue.

"What's a Rogue" questioned Lola, "is it something evil or icky because if it is, I do _not_ want that." Lincoln shook his head slightly, after listening to his sister's concerns and said that despite their rep; rogues weren't quite as "icky" as she believed. "Sure, other players chose to make _their_ rogues evil" he confessed, "but it doesn't mean _you_ have to do the same."

From that point, Lincoln went into deep detail about what rogues were capable of. He explained that while they've been known to be thieves and assassins/killers, they were also spies that helped listen in on the enemy's plans or break into supposedly locked tight buildings. "Wow, I didn't know they were like_ that_" Lola murmured, "so...you're saying my Rogue could be a sassy spy, like Black Widow?"

With a broad smile on his face; Lincoln proclaimed that if Lola played her cards right, her character could become _much_ cooler than Black Widow. "In fact; with your kind of sass, charm and sly thinking...I feel like your character would be more like Catwoman." Some people couldn't help but chuckle at this description, due to fact that Lola's character being a literal cat person.

Regardless, she still loved the idea and chose Rogue as her class. The last one to choose their class was Leni, who appeared to be looking at the book and scrunching up her nose in deep thought. "Quick question, guys" she murmured, "do Clerks do anything important in the game besides sell clothes and stuff?" Everyone suddenly blinked in confusion, wondering where Leni got the idea of clerks from.

"Right here in the book, it says clerks" she stated, "it's that character with the super cute white robes." Principal Huggins took a look at the figure Leni was referring to and soon, everything became much clearer. "Actually, young lady; that is what's known as a _Cleric_" he said emphatically, "they're like a sort of...priest or monk."

From here; Huggins added that while they possessed some fighting skills, clerics were more widely known for being healers. "Every race has their own kind of cleric" he stated, "but regardless, they are known to be peaceful and only exercise violence when necessary." Somehow, the class description made sense to Leni and it made her feel rather excited to take up the role.

With that settled, the girls were then led into one of the building's dressing rooms; where they would all undergo some quick wardrobe changes and makeup work. The process started at 9 AM and didn't end until it was almost noon. But by the end of it all, everyone was ready and raring to go (sort of.)

(Line Break)

When everyone took a look at themselves in the mirror; there were many shrieks, shouts and squeals of joy. "Check me out, girls; I look super hot like this" beamed Leni, as she ran her hand through her light-blue hair, "my hair looks gorge and just look at my tail!" Not too far away from her, the others felt as equally pleased with _their _looks as well."

"At first, I was worried the beak would make me look silly" murmured Lucy, "but now that I see myself with it on...I rather like it." Meanwhile, Luna was admiring her new bard outfit in _her_ room; unaware that a small intruder was making its way there. As Luna took a moment to compliment herself on how nice she looked in her purple dress and hood, something leapt into her room and startled her with a loud "rawr!"

Luna suddenly turned around with a fright, poised to strike at the intruder soundly with her lute. Only to be met with nothing but the empty doorway. Then, Luna heard the sounds of wild laughter from somewhere close by.

"I'm over here, Lunes" a voice said suddenly, "behind the right side of your bed!" Careful and ever cautious, Luna approached the bedside and was ready to pounce on whatever (or whoever) was messing with her. But when she looked down, the young rocker was met with a most interesting sight.

Standing before her, just up to her waist was what looked like a baby red dragon (or more commonly known as a dragon hatchling.) It had yellow spikes behind its head, a matching yellow tusk atop of its snout, tiny wings (ones about as long as a kite's wings) behind its back and a long tail trailing behind it. At the tip of the tail was a spiked point and Luna could also see trails of spikes leading up the tail to the back of its head.

But as surprising as this "creature" was, nothing could've prepared Luna for what would happen next. Not only did the dragon proceed to wave at her casually but it also greeted her with the soft cry of "good morning, Looney Tunes." Upon hearing that nickname, Luna's mind began to buzz with thought.

_"There are only four people who call me that" _she thought deeply,_ "aside from the family; there's my bandmates, George and Ruth...also Sam and...oh, no way." _ With a coy smile on her face, Luna looked down and saw that the "dragon" was actually a child wearing an _extremely_ accurate dragon costume. As for the child in question, she had a rather good idea of who it was.

"Gotta say, lil' dude; you really got me" Luna chuckled heartily, "but c'mon; let me see your real face...Simon." At the mentioning of the name "Simon," the dragon hatchling suddenly grumbled with defeat and pushed its head up; revealing the face of an eight year old boy. He had short and shaggy blonde hair, freckles on the tops of his cheeks, a star-bright smile (despite missing one or two teeth missing) and traces of red eye highlighter beneath both eyes.

"Aw, come on! I really thought I had you" Simon whined in defeat, "how did you know it was me?" After giving the dragon boy a quick hug, Luna revealed that she heard someone giggling in the hallway outside her room. "At first, I thought it was my elder sibs chatting and gigglin'...but I quickly realized that the laughing sounded younger" Luna explained, "after that, I just put the pieces together."

In an instant, Simon's defeated expression faded away and he immediately gave the pixie cut rocker the biggest hug possible. "When Sammy told me you'd be playing with us; I didn't believe her, at first" he stated, "but now that I see you here, I know the game tonight is going to be even more fun!" Luna couldn't help but admire the boy's enthusiasm and revealed that while she never played the game, up until now; she'd try her best to have fun...for his and her family's sake.

For those unaware, Simon is Sam Sharp's younger brother and much like Luna was with Lincoln; the two of them are quite close. When Simon first learned about his sister being bisexual, he not only found it to be brave. But it also inspired him to be himself at any given moment, no matter how odd his quirks might be.

Among these quirks was a love for dressing up and putting on makeup. This was sparked by all the people on the rock n' roll magazines Simon would often see Sam reading. In his head; guys like SMOOCH, The Lavender Fudge Experience, Mick Swagger and others always looked so cool in their outfits and he secretly wanted to look just as impressive.

You would think that his sister and parents would find this sort of thing "off" about him. But nope; just as they happily accepted Luna and Sam's relationship with open arms, so too did they encourage Simon's desire to stand out in the crowd. So, on any rare occasion the girls would want to try on make up; Simon would ask for some small touch ups for himself.

Still, while it _was_ wonderful to see him; Luna wondered why the boy was dressed as a dragon. "You like my costume, I'm a dragon" he said with great delight, "the red eye shadow thing was _my_ idea, thought it'd make me look cooler." Luna chuckled merrily at the boy, shared a quick high five with him and said that he did indeed look cool.

Then, at that moment; Sam passed by the room and spotted them chatting. "Hey, you guys didn't tell me you were having a party in here" she said slyly, "because it's not a party until I break out the tunes." Upon spotting his sister in the doorway, Simon raced up and hugged his small arms slightly around her ankles.

"Luna's gonna be playing with us, Sammy; isn't that awesome" the boy exclaimed, "it'll be like when I used to join my friends for LARPing back in our old neighborhood!" The girls couldn't help but smile at his optimism and Luna hoped that the game will be as fun as Simon said it would be. "If you two don't mind me asking; what are you supposed to be, Si" she asked, "I mean...I _know_ you're a dragon but I didn't know you could play those in the game."

Sam nodded in understanding and explained that her brother was going to be her "partner," during the game. "You're right, Lunes; Simon _is_ a dragon" she stated, "but technically speaking, he's my Familiar." As expected, Luna gave her girl a sort of "merp" face; indicating that she had no idea what she was talking about.

"Whoops! Forgot that you're still a newbie at this" Sam chuckled timidly, "familiars are...well, they're kinda like a magic user's special animal companion." To give her an example, she brought up the idea of black cats people see riding on witches' broomsticks. "For centuries, cats have been considered _their_ familiars" Sam stated, "they help guide their masters, show them if the area's safe or help defend them."

By this point, Luna began to have some understanding on the nature of familiars. Yet, there were two things that she still didn't understand. "First off, how did Simon get roped into this" questioned Luna, "did he intrude on one of your games like I did?"

Sam smiled at her and told Luna that they've been into this game for years. "As Si said earlier; he and his friends used to do loads of LARPing, back in our old stomping grounds" she stated, "one day, I had to baby-sit him; which meant I had to attend one of their games." Feeling curious, Luna asked Sam if she disliked playing with them.

"At first, I thought it was going to feel lame" she confessed, "but when you put on a new outfit or a suit of armor during this kind of thing, it sort of...changes you." After hearing this statement, Luna took a moment to look herself over in the mirror. At first glance, she almost didn't even recognize herself.

From her form fitting purple pants, the long and flowing green skirt that wrapped around her hips, her long-sleeved green bodice, her long black boots and her protective purple leather breastplate; she looked like she was prepping for a concert riot. As Luna continued overlooking her attire, she failed to notice Sam looking at her slyly. "It ain't polite to stare when someone's tryin' on outfits, brah" Luna said with a slight chuckle, "but as long as you're there...be honest, how do I look?"

Sam appeared to be tapping her chin in silent thought, for a moment or so. Then, she approached one of the jewelry boxes and took out to amethyst earrings that hung on chains that measured as long as her ears. Upon collecting them, Sam took off Luna's paperclip earrings and fastened the amethyst ones on gently.

Once she was done, Sam turned Luna towards the mirror to show her what she did. To say that Luna was surprised would be a gross understatement. When she saw the earrings glimmering off her ears and looked over her full look, Luna was beyond mesmerized.

"There you go, Lunes" Sam said proudly, "now...you look as beautiful as you always did on the inside." Upon hearing this, Luna chuckled slightly while shoving Sam by her shoulder; before calling her line "as cheesy as the Great Lakes City Pizza Special." Sam quickly dodged the next shove, took Luna in her arms and nuzzled her cheek against hers lovingly.

"Don't pretend you didn't love my line, Lunes" she said playfully, "I saw you blushing." To drive her point home, a faint blush suddenly appeared on Luna's cheeks and she started to chuckle nervously. "But seriously, hon; you look amazing" Sam said with great love in her voice, "you always do."

After saying this line, both girls slowly started to lean in; their eyes closing and their lips puckering slightly. But then, their moment was suddenly disturbed by Simon; who was clearing his throat loudly. "I don't usually mind seeing you two get mushy" he said simply, "but is there a particular reason you're here, Sammy...I mean, besides looking at your girlfriend?"

After hearing his question, Sam suddenly pulled away from Luna and immediately began fishing about her cloak for something; all while blushing shyly. Finally, she had found what she wanted and presented Luna with two pieces of paper. One sheet had a list containing a variety of female names.

The other sheet had the words "Dungeons & Dragons Character Sheet" in fancy lettering at the top. On the bottom were a bunch of empty slots that said stuff like "strength," "dexterity," "intelligence," "charisma" and a variety of other things." After looking both pages over, Luna looked towards Sam and asked what she had to do with them.

"Oh! The one sheet is to help you find a name you want for your character" she explained, "the Character Sheet is basically your player stats, kind of like what you find on baseball cards." This explanation surprisingly, seemed rather clear to Luna and she quickly began to look for the right name for herself. Finally, after a minute of searching; Luna had thought up an idea and wished to hear her friends' opinion on it.

"Since I'm a bard, which is basically an old timey musician; I want my character to have a musician's name" she stated, "so, I was thinking of...Yoko Spring-Stepper." At first, Simon almost felt the urge to laugh; mostly due to how silly the name "Spring-Stepper" sounded. But Luna explained that her character was a rather agile sort of musician, one that was capable of acrobatic abilities to wow the crowd.

"Oh, wow; I _love_ that description, Lunes" Sam said in awe, "you should definitely make that part of your backstory!" Not needing to be told twice, Luna immediately wrote what she said on the character sheet. While she was writing, Sam said she had to go make sure everything was in order with _her_ costume and said she'd meet her tonight.

"Until then, my fellow bard, I bid thee good day" she said with a dramatic voice, "may your songs be as enchanting as you appear." Just before Luna could make another comment on her "cheesy" dialogue, Sam silenced her with a quick kiss on the lips and fled the room. This sudden gesture left the young rocker turned bard completely silent.

When she managed to snap out of the trance almost a minute later, Luna chuckled softly and rolled her eyes. _"Always gotta leave me tongue-tied; eh, Miss Sharp"_ she thought to herself_ "but...that's why I love you so much."_ After that, she smoothed out her clothes and began to finish writing on her character sheet.

(Scene Change; the game room, hours later)

Hours passed and after much time devoted to makeup, hair and costuming; the Loud Girls were ready. At one point, between sessions; they all went into the main hall for lunch. There, they met with Chunk (otherwise known as Stoneback the Solid during game time;) who handed each of them something from a pouch on his belt.

When the girls looked at the items, they each let out gasps of amazement. In their hands were mini figurines made in the likenesses of each of their characters. "Okay, this looks totes adorable" Leni complimented, "but...what are we supposed to do with them?"

Almost immediately, Chunk explained that the figurines were all part of the gameplay. "As your character travels the game's world, you move the figurine 'cross the game map" he stated, "it's kinda like how ya move the pieces on board games, except we ain't goin' 'round in circles." The girls all nodded and murmured in understanding; then, looked back at their figures.

They were amazed by how detailed they all looked. Some of them even had little pointy ears on them, like they did. "You like 'em, painted them meself" Chunk stated, "as for the figures themselves...well, Bobby's aunt knew someone with one of them 3-D printer devices and we asked them to make these for us." Truthfully, the girls were left silent by his story; for none of them could believe that the figures could be made so quickly in such a short period.

"Make sure to keep those in safe places, luvs" Chunk instructed, "they ain't crucial to the game itself...but they're still quite valuable." The Loud Sisters nodded in understanding, thanked him again for his kind gesture and returned to their meal. "I don't know about the rest of you...but I'm actually kind of anxious to start playing" Lana stated, "I wanna see what my guy can do!"

This statement caused the other Loud Sisters to say the same thing; even Lori, much to her surprise, was curious about how the game will go. Then, everyone took a moment to compliment one another on their costumes. "I like your Tabaxi looks, girls" Lynn Sr. stated, "I'm guessing you went with a lioness look, Lola?

The girl in question nodded her head proudly and modeled her Tabaxi Lioness look. "As a young pageant queen, what better creature would suit me than the queen of jungle animals" she chuckled, "I'm particularly fond of how cute my ears look." For Lana, she decided to go for a panther breed of Tabaxi species; mainly because she thought it looked cooler.

"Did you guys pick your names yet" Lincoln asked, "mine is Leoric Strong-Jaw and I'm a sorcerer/monk." Upon hearing his description, the girls couldn't help but think that him choosing to be a monk was fitting; considering his desire to be the family "peace-keeper." "Mine is Graim Stone-Shield" Rusty stated, "I'm a combination Rogue/Bard."

The girls smiled at his class choices, realizing that it must've been _him_ that suggested singing _Diggy Diggy Hole _yesterday. "Zach's name is Jaspur Spirit-Forge and Clyde is known as Beris Storm-Claw" Lincoln explained, "we had to do a lot of research to find the perfect Dwarf names for us." Leni scratched her chin slightly and murmured how the only Dwarf names _she_ knew of were ones like Happy, Dopey, Bashful and so on.

Soon, everyone else began to mention their names and a little of _their_ characters' stories. Sam was known as Lyra Golden-Mane and Simon was known as Xenos. "What name did you pick for yourself, Lori" questioned Bobby, "I'll bet it's something as beautiful as you." At first, the young lady hesitated to speak up; worried that people would mock her choice.

But after realizing that she was already dressed up, Lori realized there was little left for everyone to mock her about now. So, after exchanging a nod with each of them; the Loud Sisters each stood up from their seats and shouted out their character names and classes.

Lori: Ventris Meadowbrook – Elf Mage

Leni: Fatima – Genie Clerk...I-I mean Cleric

Luna: Yoko Spring-Stepper – Human Bard

Luan: Mituna Tengo – Tortle Rogue/Bard

Lynn: Velra – Loxodon Barbarian/Fighter

Lucy: Shadow – Kenku Sorcerer

Lana: Ezra – Tabaxi Ranger/Druid

Lola: Ursa – Tabaxi Rogue

Lisa: Bastion - Warforged Artificer/Fighter (but I shall only use fisticuffs when it is absolutely necessary)

Everyone let out a loud "huzzah," after hearing their names. But there was one among them who didn't quite feel so cheery, little Lily. Though she couldn't speak, everyone could somehow sense what she was thinking; that there might've been no place for a baby to play the game. "Don't be sad, sweetie" Lincoln said "Big Brother has just the thing to help make you smile."

After that, he brought out what looked like a wolf costume but baby-sized; which was just right for Lily. "Since Sam has her brother playing as a familiar, I figured Lily could do the same" he explained, "but I also thought she might like being a wolf...what do you think, Sis?" There was silence after Lincoln made his request and then, Lily suddenly snatched the costume from his hands and began to make soft barking noises.

It wasn't until after she made a wolf's howl that everyone realized just how much she liked the idea of being a wolf. "Looks like we've got our answer, everybody" Lynn Sr. said joyfully, "and with that, the girls are all ready to play with us later." While the near majority of the crowd cheered at this news, some (like Mr. Grouse or Flip) questioned how a baby could play with them.

"As Lori's familiar, she'll be able to 'play' (so to speak) whenever she summons Lily to fight for her" Clyde explains, "of course, she won't actually be fighting; we don't want her hurting her sweet self." This explanation seemed to please everyone, in the end and everything seemed nearly complete. The only thing left to resolve was a name for Lily's character.

"I was thinking the name 'Lupa' would be a good name for her" Lincoln suggested, "it's short yet easy to remember, it's unique and it's the Spanish term for wolf." Everyone took a moment to ponder over the idea and then, the silence was disrupted by Lily joyfully chanting "UPA! UPA! UPA!" With this outcry of joy, everyone's minds were made up and Lupa became Lily's official character name.

After that, Lori and her mother carefully dressed Lily in her frost wolf costume. Despite the little one squirming with anticipation once or twice, the process didn't take long. When everyone saw how the baby looked, several girls were so overcome with joy that they took quick snapshots of her with their phones.

Once dressed, the wee babe began crawling about the floor; barking and yowling like a wolf pup. "Easy does it there, honey" chuckled Lynn Sr., "save _that_ energy for the game."

(Line Break)

The hour was now 6 PM, the game room would've been as dark as the night sky outside; were it not for the torches on the support beams. Nervously, the ten Loud Sisters entered the room; each of them fully dressed in their character costumes and approached the table. Their parents, now wearing their Game Masters robes, stood alongside their fellow council members and gestured for each of them to take their seats.

Without hesitation, the girls did as they were told and sat with everyone else at the game table. After that, no one had dared to speak a word and the girls were starting to worry. At that moment, Rita/Game Mistress Eliana noticed Lynn raising her hand and granted her the floor.

"Not to sound disrespectful or anything, guys" she murmured softly, "but...when are we gonna start the game." With a soft smile on her face, Rita said that everything would begin in mere moments. "But before we begin, you girls need to be properly initiated" Albert (a.k.a. Pop-Pop) stated, "that means, we need to inform you on the rules."

Despite their mild impatience, some of the Loud Sisters agreed that to play along and asked what rules they needed to follow. With this inquiry; the Loud Parents, Albert, Principal Huggins and Mrs. Johnson immediately assumed their roles as the Council of Game Masters. The next moment they spoke, their voices came out in strong and emphatic tones; giving them all the demeanor of figures of great authority.

"Sisters of the House of Loud, we bid thee welcome into our humble castle" Lynn said in his Game Master Acheron voice, "while you are here with us, you shall abide the laws of Castle Greyhawk accordingly!" After this, he gave a nod to Rita/Eliana; which signaled her to reveal what looked like an old scroll. Upon unraveling it, she cleared her throat and began to recite each of "Castle Greyhawk's" bylaws.

"First and foremost; while you are within these walls, you must remain in character" she decreed, "to elaborate; you are to speak as we do or in whatever tongues your characters communicate in." Seeing as how the girls appeared mildly confused by this rule, Lincoln decided to provide a quick explanation for them. "Each race has a different language that they speak in" he stated, "there's Common tongue; which is basically typical English, there's Elvish, Dwarvish and loads of others."

While this info was mildly informative, the girls felt it didn't quite help them understand their father's words. "What he means, babe is that while you're here with us; you have to talk like some of _us_ do" Bobby explained, after noticing Lori's confused expression; "in other words, use the kind of Olde English lingo that we hear in Shakespeare plays." With this reveal, everything became clear to the girls and they nodded in understanding.

"So, wait...you mean we gotta talk like a bunch of Renn Faire nerds while we're here" questioned Lynn, "won't that get annoying?" At that moment, Leni suddenly rose from her seat and did something no one would've ever imagined. After taking a moment to clear her throat, the young lady rose her head high and began to speak in the most eloquent way she knew.

"Do not compose fun of how these merry gentlemen choose to speak, dearest sister" she said firmly, "so long as we are within these walls, we shall adhere to the whims of its occupants; so as to ensure that all bodes well in our revelry!" To say that everyone, even Leni's siblings, were surprised by her words would be the understatement of the millennium. Then, within seconds; the young lady took notice of everyone's staring and blushed shyly.

"Whoops...sorry, everybody" she muttered, "did...did I say something wrong." Upon hearing her words, everyone quickly snapped out of their trance and began clapping wildly. "Not at all, honey" Rita said with pride, "in fact, you did it just right!"

Eventually, the rest of Leni's sisters recovered from their initial shock and turned towards Leni in confusion. When they managed to find their voices again, all nine of them said only one thing in unified reply; "how did you do that and teach it to me now!" Leni chuckled bashfully at their collective comment and said that she heard a lot of "that kind of stuff" from the Renaissance Faire.

"Once you get the hang of it, it's actually fun to say" she said with a giggle, "makes you sound like royalty, when you speak it." Feeling mildly encouraged by this, the girls each wracked their brains and did their best to think up whatever kind of Olde English dialogue they've heard over the years. When they noticed how hard the girls were thinking, Rita quickly told them to only focus on that when the moment was right.

After that, they moved on to the next bylaw; that they were welcome to think up any imaginative means of attack or defense for their character, as long as it was within their skill level. "Don't go too crazy with your ideas, though" Mrs. Johnson stated, "no Centaurtars, no instant death moves unless you have the right skills and no performing skills outside of your characters class." To elaborate, Clyde said that someone like Leni (who was a cleric) can never use skills reserved for mages or sorcerers.

Not wishing to forget this, Leni took out her phone and wrote it down in her memo app. The Council smiled at her, proud to see that she was being careful in how she played. "The third rule is this; whatever issues or transgressions you have, be they inside or outside these walls; they must remain there" Principal Huggins/Game Master Fastred said firmly, "this game is about the fun and adventure; so, we do not want any outside world issues to affect your gameplay."

After saying this, all eyes seem to fall upon Lori and Lynn Jr.; which made them confused. "What...why are you all lookin' at me" Lynn said uneasily, "I'm not the one who lets real world issues disrupt anything, that's more Lori's schtick; whenever she misses a chat with Bobby." Obviously offended by her words, Lori felt the urge to punish her...quite painfully so.

But they immediately froze in their seats, when they heard Lynn Sr. slam the base of his staff upon the ground. "This means, young ladies that whether you're having relationship troubles, if you've lost a game or whatever other kind of stresses you're enduring...keep it outside" he said firmly, "the last thing anyone of us wants is for another all-sister brawl to happen here." There was a soft muttering of agreement from all the other players, which caused the girls to blush with shame.

In the end; each of them vowed to keep game, family and _personal_ affairs separate from each other. They also promised they would try to behave accordingly within Greyhawk's walls (with a strong emphasis on try, for some of them.) With that settled, they moved on to the fourth rule; that they would keep playing until the campaign reached its end.

"We don't know how long it will take to reach that point" Mrs. Johnson/Game Mistress Agathe stated, "but until we do, we follow the quest to the end; understood?" Without pause, the girls all nodded in agreement; while still mentally wondering how long the game could last. "Fifth Rule, there shall be moments where we will all pause for meal breaks or trips to the restroom" Pop-Pop/Game Master Karuk stated, "can't play on an empty stomach, you know."

There was a lighthearted chuckle amongst the other players, even the girls all thought it was a good joke. Then, Lynn Sr. brought out rule six; no needlessly sacrificing other members of your party. "This game is about teamwork as well as fun" he stated, "which means when you come across an obstacle, you must all think of a good way out...no exceptions!"

It was in that moment that a certain child prodigy realized that this particular rule was being directed at _her. _"Very well, then" Lisa grumbled dejectedly, "I shall try my best not to upstage anyone within my party (even though my intelligence level would surely help us achieve victory much quicker.) Because the last phrase was spoken in a whisper, no one could hear her; even with the room's echo.

"Rule No.7; should your character suffer defeat in any way, take it with dignity and honor" Principal Huggins/Game Master Fastred stated, "bad sports are not welcome in this castle." Realizing that this might be applying to _her_, Lynn Jr. folded her arms slightly and complied to the ruling. As one final rule; the council proclaimed that until the game was finished, _they_ were in control.

"Think of us as the 'deities' of this game's world, in a sense" chuckled Mrs. Johnson, "we are the ones who dictate the progression of the story, it is up to _you_ to decide how to handle whatever challenges we might present." With this said, the girls unanimously agreed that they had to be ready for whatever challenges their parents or the others might through at them. Afterwards, everything seemed to be in order and everyone was ready to start playing.

"Oh...hold on for a moment" Rita/Eliana exclaimed suddenly, "there is one final thing we must bring up." The Loud Sisters resisted every urge to groan or cry out in anguished boredom and instead, chose to ask what the last rule was. "Because there are so many of you, we cannot use your characters all at one time" Principal Huggins/Game Master Fastred replied, "we can only five or six of you at the start of the campaign."

Just as the rest of the girls were prepared to whine about "being left out," Lincoln quickly intervened. "Don't fret, girls; you'll still get to play" he assured them, "you will just have to wait until certain points of the game where you can join in." Though some of them still felt a little bothered by this news, they agreed to be patient and wait for their cues to join in later.

With that matter settled, all that remained was establishing the right party to begin. This group consisted of Lori (with Lily serving as her companion,) Lucy, Lana and Lola. Satisfied; everyone took their seats, once again and the game was now ready to begin. To help set the mood, Chunk turned on a sound system and the room was suddenly filled with Medieval-sounding background music.

As the music played, the Council immediately got into character and gazed at the team of six girls. "The five of you are all travelers, desperately seeking shelter from a great storm" Rita/Game Mistress Eliana said dramatically, "through the raging winds and pouring rain, you trudge ever onward; despite the icy chills flowing through you." The girls didn't understand why...but something in their mother's tone actually caused them to rub their hands upon their arms for warmth.

"After many days of traveling, you notice the faint glow of firelight ahead of you" Lynn Sr./Game Master Acheron stated, "upon drawing closer, you see a sign that reads "Black Wolf's Inn;" which leads you to hope they have lodgings available for each of you." After this, Lily suddenly began to bark softly; immediately getting into her role as a wolf pup. "I suppose we'll head into the inn" murmured Lori uneasily, "I'll bet my character could use a good rest."

After this, everyone closed their eyes and allowed their imaginations to whisk them away to the world of Avalonis; wondering what would be in store for them inside the inn.

(First AN: and so, it begins; what will the realm of Avalonis have in store for our ten young maidens, as we enter the game's world? Will they become as invested in the game as the rest of their family and friends...or will they ruin the merriment for everyone involved? Find out in the next installment of Dungeons, Dragons & Dames.)

(Second AN: The elements about Sam and Simon's characters; such as the latter's love of putting on makeup, him loving Roleplay, the mentions of their "old stomping grounds" and other minor things are all inspired by the works of one of my followers and one of my favorite fanfic writers; Erich Zann III. As such, I would like to thank him for allowing me to use some elements from his work for _my_ interpretations of Sam and Simon.)

(Third AN: The one band name, The Lavender Fudge Experience, comes from the old Cartoon Network series "Whatever Happened to Robot Jones; while the other two are strictly Loud House origin.)

(Fourth AN: the phrase the girls said to Leni "how did you do that and teach it to me now" comes from Star Vs. The Forces of Evil. I figured that it would be the perfect thing for them to say, after Leni spoke so eloquently.)

(Fifth AN: I wanted each of the girls' classes and races to reflect their overall personalities. For example, I felt the Warforged Artificer was a perfect choice for Lisa; considering her love of science and building. As for other choices like Leni's Djinn Cleric...well, the answer there comes two-fold; the first being that she seems to have a natural skill as a caregiver, as seen in One Flu Over the Loud House.

As for the second answer, namely about her being a djinn/genie, is because I felt it was the perfect race that embodied her personality; quirky yet unpredictable. Luan's race of being a Tortle, along with her being a sort of bard/rogue, will give her a sort of trickster-style character. As she said, the creature is like a medieval version of a Ninja Turtle and that is what I want her character to behave like; when she appears in the story.)

(Final AN: Some of you may think that the Council is signaling out some of the Loud Sisters, when presenting the games rules. But in real world campaigns; people who act like how Lynn, Lori, Lisa or even Lola often ruin a game for everyone else in one way or another. So, they wanted to put strong emphasis on not letting business inside or outside of the game to affect the girls' attitudes towards others.)


	5. Character Names and Fanon Voices

Character Names and Fanon Voices for Dungeons, Dragons & Dames

(AN: The following is not a chapter but a cast list for when the story travels into the game world of Avalonis and the lands beyond. Every instant this happens, the characters will not be portrayed by the OG Loud House voice cast...for the most part. Instead, look into your imaginations and envision the following voices coming from the characters; while they roam the game world.)

Lynn Loud Sr./Game Master Acheron - voiced by Daran Norris

Rita Loud/Game Mistress Eliana – Susan Egan (known as the voice of Meg from Disney's Hercules and Rose Quartz/Pink Diamond from Steven Universe)

Agnes Johnson/Game Mistress Agathe – Vanessa Redgrave

Wilbur Huggins/Game Master Fastred – Mark Oliver

Albert "Pop-Pop"/ Game Master Karuk – Richard Newman (known as the voice of Vector Prime and Rhinox from the Transformers universe)

Lincoln Loud/Leoric Strongjaw (Dwarf Sorcerer/Monk) – Billy Connolly

Clyde McBride/Beris Stormclaw (Dwarf Paladin/Cleric) – Iain Glen (best known as Ser Jorah Mormont of Game of Thrones)

Liam/Floki Ghost-Hand (Dwarf Barbarian/Fighter) – John DiMaggio

Rusty Spokes/Graim Stone-Shield (Dwarf Rogue/Bard) – John Rhys-Davies

Zach Curdle/Jaspur Spirit-Forge (Dwarf Artificer) – Billy Boyd

Bobby Santiago Jr./Alexi Long-Strider (Half-Elven Ranger) – Steve Blum

Sam Sharp/Lyra Golden-Mane (Tiefling Bard/Mage) – Tia Carrere

Simon Sharp/Xenos (Orianna's dragon hatchling companion) – Greg Cipes

Benny/Caden Silver-Tongue (Human Bard) – Sam Riegel (speaking voice) Andrea Bocelli (when he sings)

Ronnie Anne/Aayla Silverspear (Human Fighter/Ranger and half-sister of Alexi) – Candi Milo

Maria Santiago/Arcaena Brightcloak (Elf Queen of Lemerius and Alexi's mother) - Scarlett Johansson

Sid Chang/Katrina Storm-Weaver (Half-Giant Warlock/Druid) – Nicole Oliver (known as the voice of Zoey Trent from Littlest Pet Shop and Princess Celestia from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Silas/Lokon Snowmane (Dark Elf Warlock/Rogue) – Yuri Lowenthal

Margot Roberts/Kella (a woodland Satyr that assists Caden's band of musicians) – Peigi Barker

Bud Grouse/Archmage Alucard (Dragonborn Archmage) – Corey Burton

(The following few names are characters from my Gal Pals fanfic. Though this story is set within a different universe, the names are still the same and Lincoln _is_ closely acquainted with each of them

Becky/Zenda Brandywine (Halfling Fighter) – Kelly Macdonald

Carol Pingrey/Demetria Bright-Blossom (Human Sorceress) – Kath Soucie

Cristina/Anya Pumanath (Triton Monk) – Tara Strong

Cici/Varra Stormbreaker (Orc Barbarian) – Kelly Hu

Fun with Photography Girl (or Phoebe, as she is known in my Gal Pals story) as Jinn (Changeling Rogue) – Cameron Diaz

Girl Jordan/Dyris (Shifter Barbarian) – Cree Summer

Haiku/Saleek (Aarakocra Mage) – Michelle Dockery (best known as Lady Mary Crawley of Downton Abbey)

Stella/Miranda Stone-Heart (Human Mercenary) – Nika Futterman

Chazz/Makon Dream-Speaker (Goliath Barbarian) – Fred Tatasciore

Joey/Zok (Lizardfolk Spy) – Richard Horvitz (with the Invader Zim tone of voice)

Dana/Smoking Mirror or Smoke, for short (Tabaxi Paladin) – Jennifer Hale

Kat/Zosime (Centaur Warlock/Fighter) – Tres MacNeille

Whitney/Arkoni (Aasimar Fighter/Rogue) – E. G. Daily

(This next list shows off the names of each of the Loud Sisters' names, classes and Game World voices)

Lori Loud/Ventris Meadowbrook (Elf Mage) – Lana Parrilla

Leni Loud/Fatima (Djinn/Genie Cleric) – Andrea Libman

Luna Loud/Yoko Spring-Stepper (Human Bard) – Kelly Osborne

Luan/Mituna Tengo (Tortle Rogue/Bard) – Arleen Sorkin

Lynn Jr./Velra (Loxodon Barbarian/Fighter) – Lucy Lawless

Lucy/Shadow (Kenku Sorcerer) – Marina Sirtis (known as the voice behind Demona from Gargoyles)

Lana and Lola/ Ezra (male) and Ursa (female) (Tabaxi Ranger/Druid for Ezra and Tabaxi Rogue for Ursa) – Colin O'Donoghue for Ezra and Emilia Clarke for Ursa)

Lisa/Bastion (Warforged Artificer/Fighter) – Laura Jill Miller (same actress she has within the series)

Lily/Lupa (Lori/Ventris' frost wolf companion) – Grey Delisle

(This list of characters below are those who serve as allies to the quest, the main villain or villainess and their servants)

Chester "Chunk" Monk/Stoneback the Solid (Half-Orc Barbarian/Forge-Master) – Clancy Brown (Stoneback provides one of a kind weapon and armor improvements/upgrades to the party, when they meet him.)

Ruth and George/Zsasta and Zhemu *Luna and Sam's bandmates* (Yuan-Ti Warlock for Zsasta and Yuan-Ti Blood Hunter for Zhemu) – Robert Carlyle for Zsasta and Emilie de Ravin for Zhemu (These two Yuan-Ti warriors help command the main villain or villainess' forces)

Melaena: The mad queen of the Black Waste, ruler of the Blood Ruby Tower and bearer of a mysterious item known as the Crimson Orb (portrayed by Mrs. Johnson/Game Mistress Agathe; voiced by Kathleen Barr, in the game world. Kathleen is known for voicing characters like Queen Chrysalis and Trixie from My Little Pony, Queen Mesmira from Conan the Adventurer, Marie Kanker and Kevin from Ed, Edd n Eddy and other iconic characters)

Miss DiMartino/Queen Orianna: A noble queen who mysteriously vanished, after her land suffered from a great war against Melaena many years ago. (voiced by Cate Blanchett in the game world)

(This final group are not affiliated within the campaign itself but still serve as key figures within "Castle Greyhawk")

Flip/Bojan: one of the "royal cooks" within the kitchens who helps provide food and refreshments during "snack breaks"

Fiona/Madame Spindleshanks (though not a character in the game, she and her friends do their part by helping design the costumes and wigs)

Jackie/Miss Brandybuck (Like Madame Spindleshanks, Jackie may also not be part of the campaign. But she helps out as another member of the costume team)

Mandee/Ebony Oakwood: Helps design the "castle" decor Miguel/Lord Lawrence Pipping (the hair stylist)

Mrs. Bernardo/Lady Jasmine (the Castle Crier)

(Note: Not every one of these names will be used within the Loud Sisters' campaign...at least, not all at once. But rest assured, there _will_ come instances where some of them will make appearances. I hope this list will help you all keep track of who's who)


	6. Chapter Four: A Chance Meeting

A Chance Meeting

(A Note to the Readers: From here on, the story will be split between two different worlds; the real world and the game world. Whenever the switch occurs, the story will label it between two asterisks. Otherwise, line breaks will remain the same)

*Entering the Game World*

The skies were bleak with dark clouds, the wind made the atmosphere bitterly cold despite it being the summer season and the pouring rain made made it difficult for even to boldest of warriors to travel through. Yet in spite of it all, four figures from different sides of the realm find themselves drawn to one place; a rather picturesque inn. All while holding the hoods of their cloaks over their heads, these strangers make their way to the inn with great haste.

(in the real world, Chunk decides to help provide the proper ambience and presses a button. Upon doing so, a music player turns on and a song called Black Wolf's Inn by Derek & Brandon Fiechter begins to play)

The figures suddenly burst through the door, doing everything they can to shake the chill clinging onto them. But in their haste, they have neglected to close the door behind them; something the other patrons notify them on. "Oi! Shut that door or we'll throw you back out" the barkeep exclaimed, "the wind's libel to blow out the fire!"

Thinking quickly, the tallest figure turns to close the door. But then, a sudden breeze blows back her hood; thus causing a mane of golden hair to flow in the wind. This site causes many a head to turn, indeed. "Ah! She's an elf" gasped a chubby Halfling, "from the greenwoods of the west, no doubt."

It was rare to find an elf this far away from the woods. Much of the time; they only leave the green to either trade with other peoples, hunt in other parts of the green or provide aid to those in times of war. But in recent years, times have been most peaceful and didn't provide much need for warriors.

After tending to her hair; she took a moment to dry away the rain that clung onto her staff and then, she tapped its base upon the wood floor. Soon after, the gem atop the staff began to glow; which led others to wonder what she was doing. As the gem shined brighter, the barkeep suddenly realized what this woman was; a mage.

"Oi! Pretty thing, take that business outside" the barkeep exclaimed, "I ain't gonna clean up any more magical mess from the likes of you spell casters again!" The Elven mage ignored the man's ranting, choosing only to focus on channeling her magic. Soon, she began to whisper; which caused the stone to shine a near blinding light.

Just as everyone threatened to tussle with her for "possibly blinding them," they suddenly heard a soft yipping bark. The mage then knelt down and laughed, as a small wolf pup ran into her open arms. The wee thing had fur as white as freshly fallen snow, crystal blue eyes, small-sized ears (quite normal for a pup,) had a tail that seemed to resemble a fluffy snowball and her claws, though small, were as black as coal.

The she-elf smiled, as she placed her companion by the firelight to help her warm up. But just as the pup began to feel comfortable, the barkeep suddenly plucked it up off the floor by the scruff of its neck. "We do not allow animals here, Mum" he said gruffly to the she-elf, "she will have to wait outside, can't have her sheddin' on me food n' drinks."

The pup yipped and barked viciously, as the man carried her off for the door.

*The Real World*

Lori, dressed as her elf character, bit her lip both in anger and worry; after hearing her parents describe the aforementioned scene. "That jerk can't do that to Lil...I mean, Lupa" she cried, "I outta clock him in the head or something!" Upon hearing her say this, Huggins/Game Master Fastred said that she _could_ choose to fight the barkeep for Lily's/Lupa's freedom.

"But seeing as how the game has just started, I might advise not engaging in confrontation so soon and possibly try intimidating the man" he suggested, "either way, how you succeed all comes down to how you roll the dice." From there, Rita/Game Mistress Eliana explained that high attack or persuasion rolls could guarantee Lily's safety. "Which do you prefer, dear" she asked, "do you want to talk this out...or are you gonna try and free your pup from the man's grasp."

For the next moment or two, Lori considered each of the options presented before her. On one hand, she _could_ try going the more pacifistic route and talk to the barkeep. But on the other hand, she always preferred to assert her authority whenever possible.

"I think I'll go for the intimidation plan" she said with a chuckle, "what do I roll for that?" Happy to see her daughter getting into the game (at least, a little;) Rita/Eliana pointed to one of her square dice. "This is what's called in the game a d20 dice" she explained, "you roll this for whenever you want to perform certain actions; like attacking, intimidation, persuasion etc."

She then started going into some detail on the numbers. "Let's say you're going to attack your opponent" she began, "if you roll and the die lands on a 20, that's the highest level of power your strike will have...which might kill them." The Loud Sisters grimaced slightly, each of them thinking that a bartender (no matter how rude) didn't deserve _that_ bad of a beating.

"However...should it land on a lower number, the attack might not be quite as strong" Lynn Sr./Game Master Acheron stated, "getting a number 10 for an attack roll will make it seem like you just punched him in the arm." At the mention of this, Lincoln couldn't help but rub _his_ arm slightly; remembering all the times Ronnie Anne playfully jabbed him. Meanwhile, Lori stood in place with a glazed look in her eyes; as her father continued to explain dice rolls.

"So; if I understand you correctly, I've gotta roll this lil thing for everything I do" she asked mildly confused, "what if I wanna...I dunno, fall in love with somebody?" From here, Rita/Game Mistress Eliana explained that such a thing was often...tricky in the game. "If you're looking to use 'love' as a means of stopping your opponents, you would need to use a Seduction Charm or roll for Deception."

Astonishingly, Lori and some of her sisters were able to understand this. But what she really wanted to know was if her character had to roll any dice for her own character to establish a relationship with another? Upon bringing this up, she and Bobby cast an over-the-shoulder glance at one another and smiled lovingly.

"If you wish to do something like _that_, Miss; I do not believe there is any form of dice roll to make" Huggins/Game Master Fastred stated, "all you need to do is simply talk to them...when their character comes into play, of course." Satisfied with the answer, Lori began to think of an idea of how to save Lily/Lupa in the game. After a while, she decided that intimidating him was the best course of action.

With this in mind, she picked up the d20 dice and shook it vigorously in her hand and tossed it onto the table. It bounced and rolled slightly across the surface, for about five seconds; until it finally stopped and showed off the number 15 on its side. "Very good, dear" Mrs. Johnson/Game Mistress Agathe said with glee, "now that your attack roll has been made, what do you say and do to the bartender?"

At first, she felt tempted to say something she herself did in any everyday situation; "lay off or I'll bust your teeth in!" But then, she remembered that she had to remain in character; which meant sticking with the game lingo as well. "Okay, first off; do I just have my mage staff...or whatever it's called as a weapon or do I have something else" she asked, "because using magic on a guy who's literally nothing more than a meanie would seem extreme."

The Council of Game Masters nodded slightly in understanding and told her to take a peek at her game card. Upon doing so, Lori saw that she had several other weapons to choose from; besides her staff. "This is more like it" she murmured with approval, "okay...I...I take out my dagger, lightly jab it against the barkeep's back and say 'I shall not ask you twice, human...release my companion or I'll bleed you like the hog you are.'"

Despite the fact that everyone, including the Game Masters, all believed the phrase sounded _incredibly_ dark, this coupled with her 17 Intimidation Roll proved rather effective.

*The Game World*

As he felt the knife's edge lightly prick itself against his back, the barkeep could sense that the elf was not bluffing. So; though rather unceremoniously, he releases his grip on the Frost Wolf pup's neck and drops her onto the floor. Mildly shaken by the experience, the creature scampers back behind its mistress; all while whimpering fearfully.

The elf mage smiles down at her pup, scoops her up into her arms and nuzzles her. "Do not fear, little one" she whispered sweetly, "I won't let these..._human filth_ harm one patch of fur on you." Upon being called filthy, the barkeep glowers at her and felt the strong desire to strike her down with his rock-sized fists.

But as he begins to charge; a stone, one as large as a fist, suddenly flew towards the barkeep and struck him square in the face; causing him to fall over in a heap. The elf mage and every other patron in the bar gasp in shock, wondering who it was that threw the stone. Then, a hushed yet suave voice suddenly spoke up at the bar.

"So sorry for alarming you, Mum" it said calmly, "but that oaf was overwhelming the band's music, I can't enjoy a drink without good music." As all eyes fall upon this figure, the one beside him suddenly lets out a soft yet annoyed groan. "Ezra, you fool; we're not supposed to draw attention to ourselves" the other figure murmured, "especially when we're in outsider territory."

As the second figure facepalms herself, everyone gasps at the sight of the smooth fur along her forearm. Immediately, several patrons begin to think that this stranger was a form of demon and demanded that she lowered her hood. For almost ten seconds, the figure refused to comply.

But then, her associate wasted no time removing _his_ cloak and tossing it across the room. When the figure's true identity was revealed, several patrons almost fell from their stools in shock. Standing before them was some form of cat creature.

His body was slender yet had some form of strong muscle tone. He had a mane of blazing red hair, the claws on the tips of his fingers were as black as coal and his body, though lean in appearance, was quite tone. The elven mage took a glance at the creature and softly gasped in amazement.

"My word, a Tabaxi" she murmured, "I never would've expected to see one so far from the jungles." Meanwhile, the barkeep had just begun to recover from his earlier blow to the face and was about to climb off the floor. When suddenly, the Tabaxi smashes his foot against his gut; trapping him on the floor.

"Now, mate...I'm gonna give ya a choice; a rather easy one at that" he said with a whisper, "either you apologize to the young elf here for manhandling her wee pup...or I'm gonna make you lick my boots clean with that tongue of yours!" Before the barkeep could make any form of a response, one of the hooded figures appeared from behind the Tabaxi and grabbed his shoulder. "Ezra...have you gone mad or just momentarily stupid" the figure said scoldingly, "how are we to find help, if you choose to pick a fight wherever we go?"

The Tabaxi known as Ezra glowered at his companion slightly and proclaimed that he "needed" to intervene. "That's still no excuse" the hooded figure stated, "we need outsiders to trust us, not hurt us." Just then; a drunkard, while in a frenzy, grabbed the back of the figure's hood and pulled it backwards.

With her identity exposed; the figure, who was revealed to be a female Tabaxi, groaned with dismay and tried to calm the male down.

*Back in the real world*

In the game room, several players gazed over at Lana; who appeared to be clutching at the dice with great intensity. "Easy there, Lana; no need to go overboard" Clyde murmured softly, "remember, this is all in good fun." Lana allowed her friend's words to sink in, for a moment.

Then, after letting out a sigh; she started to calm down. "Sorry about that, everyone" she whispered, "but like I said through my character, I love animals and when that jerk started messing with Lily/Lupa...I kinda got testy." There were several kind murmurs of "don't worry about it" or "we all get sucked into the game pretty quickly" from the crowd, before Lynn Sr./Game Master Acheron quickly interjected.

"It happens to a lot of us, honey" he said sympathetically, "just remember; whatever you say, it automatically counts as a game event...and it cannot be changed." It was here that he reminded everyone that if they had any real questions or concerns; they were to say "I have a Game Master Question," before presenting them. After that; he turned towards Lori, Lucy and Lola and asked if any of _them_ had an idea to calm the situation.

The three sisters sat in complete silence, for almost a minute; when Lucy suddenly got an idea. "Okay, so...my character is a sorcerer; right" she asked, "then, that must mean I can use a spell to calm everyone down." After hearing this question, each of the Game Masters began searching through several manuals for something.

Then, Albert/Game Master Karuk found such a spell; one called "Calm Emotions." But unfortunately, it could only be used by Clerics and Bards. "Ah, dang it" murmured Lucy dejectedly, "then...what kind of spells could I use to help stop the fighting?" Again, the Game Masters checked their manuals for information. Then, Principal Huggins/Game Master Fastred revealed that Lucy had no such abilities; which made the wee Goth appear disgruntled.

"However, Lori...or rather, Lady Ventris; _you_ have a few abilities that could help save you" he informed, "there is Frostbite, Friends and the ever popular, Sleep." Curious, Lori asked what each spell was capable of. "Well, let us start with Frostbite" Mrs. Johnson/Game Mistress Agathe stated, "depending on how high you roll, you can leave your target completely or momentarily frozen in ice."

Upon hearing the idea, Lucy couldn't help but wonder why Lori got the "cooler" spells. "Next, there is also Charm" Rita/Game Mistress Eliana suggested, "but...the spell only lasts for _one_ turn and once the person recovers...well, judging from your current situation; he would want you arrested." With both ideas proving either too dangerous or not very affective, Lori asked for a spell that could "put everyone in a daze."

"Oh! You might want to use Sleep for that" Albert/Game Master Karuk stated, "as the name implies, it puts anyone within range asleep." When everyone asked how long the spell lasted, each member of the council held up one finger on their hands. "Five minutes, that's pretty good" Leni interjected, "that can give the three of them enough time to leave before any guards or whatever/whoever else comes by."

Despite her naïve tone, the council chose not to call her out on it; what with Leni being a beginner and all. "Actually, dear; the spell only lasts for _one_ minute" Rita/Game Mistress Eliana stated, "but the idea is still a good one, if you're thinking of making a quick escape." With that said, Lori decided to go with the Sleep spell option.

She took the d20 in her hand, shook it and tossed it lightly across the table. After a while, it landed on 14. "Oh, dear" murmured Rita/Game Mistress Eliana, "due to the number, the spell only causes those around you to feel drowsy." At first, Lori was prepared to feel like the dice was cheating her.

But then, the Game Master Council told her that even when drowsy; the barkeep and those around him would not be able to recall being cross with her. "Plus, it could still give you a chance to escape" Lincoln chimed in suddenly, "just sayin'." With all this in mind, Lori felt a little more comfortable with her roll and decided to stick with it.

After that, Lucy looked into a book and saw something labeled "minor illusion." "I would like to use this, while everyone is asleep" she murmured, "that way, if someone comes in, they'll just assume everyone's passed out drunk." There was a light giggle from everyone, both at the humor of the scenario and the overall cleverness behind the idea. "Check out who's getting into the game, everybody" Bobby said with pride, "I'm feeling rather proud, to be honest."

Lucy simply scowled behind her beak and told him "don't get used to it" in her usual monotone voice. After that, she threw her dice and it landed on 14; which (to her) felt like a bad sign. But then, her father reminded her about something on her card labeled "bonuses."

"Whatever your dice roll is, you can add the number of points your bonuses have to your roll" he informed, "this could come in handy, for when you want to do some serious stuff." With that, Lucy looked at her card and saw that she had a plus 2 bonus points in spell casting. _"It's not a whole lot, unfortunately; even with the bonus two"_ she murmured, _"but I think my illusion should still last for a while at 16 points."_

*In the Game World*

Thinking quickly, the elven mage chanted a spell and an odd light slowly enveloped the barkeep and several drunks near him. Within seconds, each of them found themselves growing drowsy; before their heads started slamming onto their tables, one by one. Though pleased with this sudden turn of events, the Elf Mage and the two Tabaxi strangers were rather confused by _how_ it happened.

It was then that they soon spotted another cloaked figure at the bar; someone who arrived at the same instance they all did. "Thank you, stranger for your assistance" the elf mage murmured softly, "but...what did you do and _how_ were you able to achieve it?" The cloaked figure did not answer, which made the Tabaxi duo feel rather bothered.

"When one asks you a question, stranger; the respectable thing to do is reply" the male Tabaxi said firmly, "so, we ask you again...how did you perform your spell?" After a moment or two of silence, the figure slowly raised its left arm and slid her hand out from her sleeve. The elf mage was shocked to discover that instead of a human's hand, it looked more like a sort of bird's talon.

*In the Real World*

"Upon seeing the bird-like hand, you are filled with a sense of shock and mild curiosity" murmured Lynn Sr./Game Master Acheron, "what do you do next?" Without hesitation, Lori said that she would want to see the cloaked figure's true face. "Alrighty, you can do it through one of two ways" Rita/Game Mistress Eliana stated, "you can ask her kindly to remove her hood...or pull it down yourself."

Normally, most players would go with the former option; believing courtesy, even when among strangers, was the best way to behave. But being the rather pushy member of her family she often was, Lori went with the latter option and said her character would pull down the figure's hood. "Very well, then" murmured Principal Huggins/Game Master Fastred, "you draw back the figure's hood...but then; you are taken aback by the sight of what appears to be a long, pointed beak."

This reveal caused many players around them to gasp in shock. "So, what's the figure supposed to be; some kinda monster or something" questioned Lana/Ezra, "because that would be cool!" The council giggled heartily at the young lady and said that the figure was actually a creature known as a Kenku.

"Kenku are a race of bird-like humanoids that often live 'on the edge of human society'" murmured Mrs. Johnson/Game Mistress Agathe dramatically, "which is another way of saying they choose to live in the shadows or the streets." The council went on to describe how the Kenku once, centuries ago, used to be able to fly (much like typical birds.) "But due to an ancient curse, they were stripped of all their feathers and were left unable to fly again" Albert/Game Master Karuk stated, "to this day, they look upon any creature able to fly with bitter jealousy."

Surprisingly, this little story managed to strike a chord with the Loud Sisters; even with Lucy herself (due to her character.) "But why is this Kenku thingy at the Inn with us" question Lola, "maybe I can ask her for her reason." Despite her idea being a smart one; the council, albeit reluctantly, told Lola that it wouldn't be possible.

"See...it wasn't _just _the ability to fly the Kenku were cursed to lose" Rita/Game Mistress Eliana sadly, "they also lost their creativity and their ability to speak." She then added that the Kenku only had two methods of communication, mimicry and sign language. "Pardon me, Father; if I could just interject for a moment" Lisa stated, "when you speak of 'mimicry,' do you mean they copy whatever a person might say or...something else entirely?"

The two Loud Parents nodded in unison and said that the Kenku utilized _both_ methods. "They can also write in Common Tongue, which is a fancy way of saying English" Clyde interjected suddenly, "just a little something to keep in mind." With all this presented, Lucy had a good idea of how she would be able to converse with her siblings' characters.

*In the Game World*

Upon discovering the figure's identity, the elven mage was taken aback. "Heavens...what is a Kenku doing in a place such as this" she murmured, "and why did she help us?" The moment the second thought came into mind, the elven mage recalled a notorious fact about Kenku; namely their history of being thieves.

_"It all makes sense, now" _she thought to herself, _"with all these people momentarily dazed, she will have no trouble stripping their pockets clean." _Believing her to be a threat, the mage slowly drew out a dagger from her belt and prepared to strike. But then, the Kenku silently pointed at the main door.

"What, do you hear someone coming" questioned Ezra, "if so, I can handle them." The Kenku immediately started to shake her head and then, she started making an odd series of hand gestures. At first, no one could understand what she was doing. But when Ursa took a closer look, she saw that the Kenku was making walking gestures with her hands; before gesturing towards the door.

"I think she is telling us we should leave" she said with an uncertain tone, "if so, we best move quickly; the spell may wear off soon." Surely enough, several patrons and even the barkeep began to stir slightly; which was enough of a signal to tell them all to leave. But then, they looked out one of the windows and saw that the rain still hadn't stopped pouring.

"If you expect us to go out into that storm, you're a daft fool" Ezra hissed, "I do not like the feel of that rain against my fur."

*In the Real World*

Within moments, the four Loud Sisters found themselves into a mild debate over what to do next. Lori suggested taking a risk and going out into the rain. But Lola said she wouldn't dream of going out into such a storm, in reality _or_ fiction. "There must be some way one of us could settle this" murmured Lucy, "perhaps a spell of some kind?"

In response, the council said that a spell _could _work but they recommended going along with another method. "Lori, how about rolling a Persuasion Check" Lynn Sr./Game Master Acheron suggested, "that means the number level on the dice will determine how strongly persuasive you will be."

From here, he showed two different dice; a d10 and a d20. "You describe what you want to do and then, I roll one of these to determine how strong your request is" Lynn Sr./Game Master Acheron explained, "the d20 is more for when you want to manipulate _really _difficult characters; like royalty, nobles...or enemies." With all this in mind, Lori decided to go with the d10.

"I look at both of the Tabaxi strangers and tell them we have to leave or else we might be brutalized by the drunks within the Inn" Lori stated, "if they refused me, I promise to drag them outside by their tails!" Lana and Lola couldn't help but chuckle a little, both believing the phrase was one worthy of Lori. After that, Rita/Game Mistress Eliana shook the dice in her hand and threw it.

"Your Persuasion Roll is...8; which means that despite them hesitating for a brief moment, Ezra and Ursa agree to leave with you" she explained, "after that, you all grab your cloaks and flee the inn." There was a brief sigh of relief from the three young ladies, who all appear to be relieved from their escape. Then, upon realizing what was happening; Lori shook her head vigorously.

_"Wait...what am I literally doing" _she thought to herself_ "am I...am I actually getting roped into the game?" _The moment this thought entered her head, Lori found herself shivering with disgust; as if she felt something disgusting crawling on her. Meanwhile, the council continued to explain the game's scenario; moments after the trio's escape.

"As you three expected; upon leaving the inn, you find yourself caught within the rainstorm" Principal Huggins/Game Master Fastred said with a slight chuckle, "but then, you discover that compared to earlier; the rainfall feels much gentler against your cloaks." There was a soft murmur of approval between the four Loud Sisters, upon hearing this. "For a moment, you all consider fleeing from there; especially after the rather...unpleasant encounter" Mrs. Johnson/Game Mistress Agathe stated, "but then...your elf friend suddenly hears the sounds of horse hooves approaching."

To help provide the sound effects, Chunk suddenly started clacking a pair of coconut shells together; simulating the sound of a horse's hooves. This coupled by everyone closing their eyes and envisioning the scene in their heads really helped the Loud Sisters become immersed in the game. "Your elf companion looks over her shoulder and says the horses were approaching from the western side of your location" explained Rita/Game Mistress Eliana, "she suggests taking shelter somewhere and hiding...what do you do?"

Feeling curious, Lana asked why Lori's character could hear the horses approaching so quickly. "The answer is simple, sweetie" Albert/Game Master Karuk replied, "elves have a sharp sense of hearing, almost like a dog does; which makes them able to hear things a lot easier than most creatures." While she was, admittedly amazed by this reveal; Lola couldn't help but think that Lori's character had the good stuff.

Lana meanwhile, was in the midst of thinking about what to do next. "One part of me is thinking we should hide" she stated, "you know, for safety's sake?" Everyone nodded slightly in understanding and then asked what the other half of her thought about doing. "Well...we don't know _who_ it is that's coming" she replied, "so, I suggest we hide somewhere close and see what's going on."

The council looks towards the three other Loud Sisters and asks what they would want to do. After thinking on it for a while, they decided that Lana's idea was the best option and went with it. "Very well...you take refuge within the shadows of an alleyway near the inn and one of you pokes their head out to see what's out there" Mrs. Johnson/Game Mistress Agathe explained, "that is when you spot a carriage stationed outside the main door."

Upon hearing mention of a carriage, Lola automatically presumed someone royal might be stopping by. "You may be right in that idea, sweetie" Rita/Game Mistress Eliana stated, "perhaps you should roll your dice for a 'Perception Check." When asked what this roll meant, she explained that perception was a word used for whenever a character wishes to study something.

"When you say 'study,' Mom; do you mean like...for tests or something else" questioned Lana, "because that's a bit advanced for me and Lola." Everyone (except the other Loud Sisters) shook their heads slightly and Lincoln decided to give a quick explanation on the topic for her. "When you're doing a Perception Check, you're preparing to examine something for clues" he stated, "we do this whenever we're examining a room for traps, trying to find secret clues in a room or after we discover magical items."

The twins murmured slightly in understanding and Lana decided to give that a try. "Okay, so...you guys said there's a symbol on the carriage, right" she asked, "then, I'm gonna try and learn what that is." With that said; she took hold of the dice, shook it between both hands and tossed it lightly across the table.

"Okay, it looks like I got a...16" she murmured, "is that good or...did I mess up?" To help ease her worry; everyone said that, for a perception roll, 16 was quite good. "As you look at the symbol, you see that it bears the likeness of a large oak tree" Lynn Sr./Game Master Acheron explained, "then, the doors of the carriage suddenly open and a young man steps out."

*In the Game World*

While still hidden within the alleyway, Ezra takes a peek at the carriage and sees a young man exiting it. From the oak tree crest upon his tunic, the ragtag group surmised that he was a person under the service of a noble house. "Methinks this young fellow is a messenger" murmured the elf mage, "but why would he come to the inn in this sort of weather.

"Perhaps he was riding to somewhere else and the driver decided to stop here, for safety reasons" Ursa suggested, "seems like the wise thing to do." Everyone took the Tabaxi female's words into account and believed she might be correct. But then, her brother noticed something in the young man's hand; a scroll of paper.

Upon bringing this to the others' attention, the elf mage surmised that this lad may have been some sort of messenger. "The real question is, why come to _this_ sort of place with it" she murmured, "we should go and take a look." With that said, the Elf Mage pulled the hood of her cloak over her head and crept over to the side window of the inn.

Meanwhile, everyone inside was slowly recovering from their sudden sleep spell and noticed the splotches of booze on several surfaces. "Oi...Must've had one too many pints of grog earlier" the barkeep murmured with a slight yawn, "I feel like I've been sleepin' for ages." Several of the patrons close to him began murmuring the same thing, each of them appearing unable to recall how they got this way.

From outside the window, the Elf Mage let out a sigh of relief; from their muttering, it seemed as though they had no memory of the earlier quarrel. Then, she suddenly heard the voice of the young messenger clear his throat; thus catching the attention of those within the room. "Good day, Sir" he said politely, "I bring a message from his royal majesty, King Acheron of Avalonis."

Upon hearing these names, the Elven Mage gasped softly; for she recalled that both Avalonis and its king have been allies of her people for moons. _"What has become of the king"_ she thought to herself, _"and why would the royal messenger come to this sort of place to deliver a message?"_ Eager to learn more, she eased her head to the side towards the window; hoping that her elf ears would overhear the conversation inside.

"You're a long way from home; ain't ya, laddie" chuckled the barkeep, "what sort of business is going on that you'd risk braving a storm like this?" In response, the messenger unraveled the scroll he held and pinned it to a wall. Curious, several patrons stood up from their seats and walked over to get a good look at the message.

At the same time, the Elven Mage also felt eager to learn about it and raised her head up the windowsill slightly. There, she saw the parchment fluttering slightly on the wall, showing off its text in bright red lettering.

It read:

_To all people of Avalonis; a great threat is on the rise and his Royal Highness, King Acheron the First, seeks champions who will help safeguard the people and seek out a way to stop this threat. Should your efforts prove successful; by order of His Majesty, any and all involved will be amply rewarded. Report to the palace forthwith for further information, should you choose to accept this summons._

_ To all who will take up this task, know that the kingdom...the realm will forever honor you for your efforts. We await your arrival, in due course._

_Sincerely,_

_Queen Eliana_

After reading the decree to the letter, the mage's interest had been piqued. What sort of danger was Acheron preparing for, why ask for the assistance of vagabonds and had this news reached _her_ homeland yet? Whatever was happening, she knew she had to get to the bottom of it.

But just as she prepared to leave her hiding place and report this news to her other associates, she felt a large hand suddenly grip her shoulder. With a worried murmur, she looked up and saw that it was the barkeep who grabbed hold of her. "OI! You're that Elf that brought the wee pup into me tavern" he said with a growl, "no doubt, you used some form of sleep magic on us earlier too!"

Several other patrons suddenly stood up from their seats, proclaiming they saw her murmuring to herself moments ago. "There was also that Kenku sitting next to her" a tavern wench grumbled, "she must've helped put us all to sleep so that they could try and slink away!" With all this brought to his attention, the barkeep soon became quite flustered and was ready to deliver some much deserved "justice" upon the Elf Mage.

But then, a small stone suddenly soared towards him and slammed into his eye; momentarily blinding him. Soon after; the Tabaxi wanderers, Ezra and Ursa, stood around the mage in a sort of defensive formation. Then, the Kenku appeared and started making shrill noises at the patrons; causing them to plug their ears painfully.

With the noise proving too much to handle, everyone suddenly fled the inn; not caring about the pouring rain or winds. "Nice work there, birdbrain" chuckled Ezra, "remind me to call upon you, next time my sister and I are in another pinch." Unfortunately, their moment of triumph ended before it even began.

Soon, the barkeep had recovered from the Kenku stranger's noises and was ready to strike them all down where they stood. But the messenger quickly blocked off his path by standing in their defense. "What is the meaning of this" the barkeep growled, "this lot disturbed my business, I'm well within my rights to discipline them accordingly."

With all the decorum he could muster; the messenger informed the barkeep that whatever incidents happened here, he would make certain that the King and Queen were the ones to discipline them. To help prevent further argument and to help compensate for everything, he then offered a small bag of gold to the vendor. "I trust this will cover everything, Sir" he inquired, "if so; then, I shall be on my way."

The barkeep untied the bag, opened it up and smiled brightly at the many coins that were inside. "Very well, you can take 'em" he murmured, "besides...whatever I planned on doing, it won't compare to what the King and Queen might have in mind." With that, he pleasantly tossed the bag onto the bar and returned to cleaning the dirty mugs; leaving the ragtag group of wanderers in the messenger boy's hands.

"Now that that has been settled; kindly follow me into the carriage, Ladies...and gentleman" he said with a mildly snobbish tone, "His Lordship will want to know about this." Seeing as there was no way out of their situation, the group silently joined the messenger inside of the carriage. Afterwards, the driver gave a quick snap of the reins and the carriage sped off as quickly as possible into the distance; braving the rain and wind along the way.

(AN: YOWZA! Just like in any D&D campaign, our heroes find themselves in trouble for an offense they did not commit. What will the fates have in store for them? Find out next time in Dungeons, Dragons & Dames)

(Second AN: Sorry if the switching between the game world and real world seemed weird to you all. I tried to make it like how it's done in either HarmonQuest, one of many popular D&D game series' within the internet; much like Critical Role or other examples.)

(Third AN: If I made any mistakes in the players' dice roles, spell performances or whatever else; understand that it was both done by accident...and also on purpose. I say "by accident" because I haven't played the game since High School and may not remember certain specifics from it. Still; on the other hand, none of the Loud Sisters have played either.

Thus, I wanted to make _their_ run feel like they had some difficulty as well. I hope that makes sense to you, everyone.)


	7. Chapter Five: The Palace of Avalonis

The Royal Palace of Avalonis

(The Real World)

Outside of the game's world, the Loud Sisters watched as their father walked to the side of the room and began looking for something inside of a large chest. After about ten seconds, he found what he needed and placed the item upon the game board. It was a plastic model of a majestic white and gold castle.

It had long towers with cone-shaped spires, its walls were pearly white with golden lines stretching around it (which were meant to represent stonework and its main keep appeared bigger than their own house (that is, it looked as such within their imaginations.) "What's this place, Daddy" questioned Lola, "is it a model of the building we're in?" Lynn Sr. smiled down at his daughter and said that she was half right.

"This model _was_ inspired by the building, yes" he stated, "but in the game; it's the royal palace of Avalonis; where mine and your mother's characters rule." Leni and Lola gushed loudly at this reveal, thinking it was "super cool" that their parents were playing as a king and queen. "Hold up" cried Lynn Jr. exclaimed suddenly, "I thought you guys were just the game masters, not characters in this thing."

Principal Huggins gave a slight nod in understanding and explained that as Game Masters, they were entitled to portray any necessary side-characters within the game. "For example, there will come a time where we might use monster voices for any creatures you'll encounter in the game" he said with a cheeky tone, "so...keep your ears open." After taking a moment to shake the thought of monsters out of their heads, Lana and Lola took hold of their mini figures and readied themselves for the next part of the game.

"Gotta say, girls; it's nice to see ya getting into the game a bit" Pop-Pop said with a hearty chuckle, "hears hoping the rest of your sisters won't be too far behind in that regard." With that said; he assumed his role of Game Master Karuk, once again and began to recite the game scenario. "After agreeing to join with the messenger, the five of you enter his wagon" he explained in his character voice, "you have no idea where you are all going...but in spite of that, you prepare yourselves for any possible misfortune ahead."

(The Game World)

For almost two hours, the carriage trudged on; the horses doing their absolute best to push through the wind and the rain. During the voyage, the four warriors look towards the messenger with suspicious gazes. Finally, Ventris cleared her throat and asked him why he ventured through such harsh elements so far from his home.

"I was sent there by my lord, King Acheron" the messenger explained, "he tasked me to seek out able champions who would aid us; as we prepare for the coming evil." Upon hearing this reveal, the four "champions" erupted into a cacophony of confused murmurs. "Oi! You didn't say anything about fighting any sort of evil, mate" grumbled Ezra, "just what in the void is goin' on here?"

With a reluctant sigh, the messenger said that he was not entitled to give any specifics on what was happening. "But be assured; when we arrive at the palace, His Lordship will explain everything." While still feeling somewhat wary of the lad's words; Ventris, Ezra, Ursa and the Kenku sorcerer agree to accompany him to his home.

(Line Break)

After half a night's ride, the carriage continues its trek back home. In the distance; the sun begins to rise slowly, shining its rays through the windows of said carriage. The Kenku squawked irritably, as the light shined into her eyes; waking her from her slumber.

Upon hearing her noises, Ursa gave a prodigious yawn and looked out the window to see how far they've gone. What she saw on the horizon caused the Tabaxi to gasp in awe. "Everyone, wake up" she cried excitedly, "we're coming up to a village soon!"

The messenger took a peek outside the window and smiled softly at the sight before him. "My Lord and Ladies, I bid you welcome to Avalonis" he stated, "His Lordship will be pleased to see you all." After that, the boy instructed the carriage driver to make haste for the palace; once they've entered the village.

With a soft nod as a response, the man took hold of his reins and gave them a quick snap; which caused the horses to shoot off down the road. During the remainder of the ride, everyone couldn't stop wondering just what was going on and why this Acheron desired the help of strangers. "Is there anything else you can tell us regarding this 'danger' your king spoke of" inquired Ventris, "is it some sort of invasion or has some misfortune befallen one of your allied kingdoms?"

After a moment or two of silence, the messenger revealed that the royal advisor had an odd vision. "Pray thee, friends; do not think me mad for what I'm about to say" the lad implored, "but in his vision; the royal advisor spoke of a large castle keep with red jewels embedded into its stonework, a land ravaged by evil and a lone figure ruling over this place with a mysterious orb." As the foursome listened to the messenger's words, Ezra and Ursa could feel their fur standing on end.

"I daresay, young man; your story is quite foreboding" Ventris murmured while stroking her frost wolf reassuringly, "are you certain it is wise to venture so far from home on some old man's nightmares?" While he knew the she-elf wasn't being disrespectful, the messenger gave her a soft glare and said that Master Alucard's visions were often correct. Upon hearing this name, Ventris raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the lad.

"Alucard...Are you referring to one Alucard Stone-Scale, by chance" she asked, "he was a dear friend of my mentor back in my homeland." With this bit of information presented, the messenger took note to inform the king of this upon their arrival.

(The Real World)

As the story returns to the real world, Lynn Sr. is seen moving a minifigure of a carriage across the game board. "You travel through the village, then the city and finally arrive at the palace" he explained, "there, you are greeted by a pair of guards; who eye the four of you intently." Mildly bothered by this, Lola grumbled and proclaimed that no one was to look at her that way unless they were judges or the audience from a beauty pageant.

After everyone shares a light giggle at the wee blonde's comment, Rita continues on with the game's story. "Before any of you speak up, the messenger boy bows before the guards and informs them that the four of you wish to speak with the king" she explains, "to which they immediately grant you entry; albeit...begrudgingly." At that moment, Leni raised her hand and asked what the word "begrudgingly" meant.

"It means that they literally allowed us to go inside" Lori explained, "despite however much they considered us untrustworthy." This made Leni feel even more confused, wondering why the guards were acting so suspicious of them. "Answer me this, dear Sister" inquired Lisa, "how would you behave if an elf, a bird creature and two feline humanoids were outside our home and wished to come in?"

For a second or two, the second eldest Loud Sister tried to offer up a reply. But she quickly understood Lisa's point and withdrew her statement. "Truth is, sweetie; no one else in the kingdom thought anyone would come" Pop-Pop stated, "as such, it makes sense for the guards to be a scooch antsy around strangers."

With that statement, Leni finally understood the situation and urged everyone to continue the game from there. "Very good...Once the guards let you pass, you soon led through the front gates of the palace" Mrs. Johnson explained, "upon entering, the messenger urges you to enter as quickly as possible."

After this; Lori, Lucy, Lana and Lola's game pieces are moved over towards the front of the castle model. Then, Rita suddenly opens it up; revealing what looked like the great hall of a real palace. Despite everything being dollhouse-sized items, it all still looked beautiful.

After taking a moment to marvel at the model, Lynn Sr. and Rita bring the girls' figurines inside the main hall of the palace. "Once you're inside the throne room, you see scores of people gathered inside" Principal Huggins explained, "in time, you are brought before King Acheron and Queen Eliana."

(In the Game World)

As the messenger led the foursome down the aisle; the court looked upon them with looks of shock, confusion and slight amazement. "What the devil are they all staring at" Ezra murmured under his breath, "they look as though they've never seen creatures like us before." The messenger boy chuckled softly and said that creatures of other races have not visited Avalonis for over a decade.

"There was a time where Elves, Dwarves, Fair Folk and scores of others came to this kingdom to trade or celebrate merry times with us" he explained, "but after recent events...they have become far too distressed to leave their homes." Concerned by the lad's choice of words, Ventris asked what sort of danger was plaguing his people and why the king would seek out strangers to help him.

"I cannot answer, My Lady...for I do not know how to" the lad replied, "but His Lordship shall tell you everything himself." Not long after that, the group found themselves before King Acheron and Queen Eliana at last. The King, despite his distressed state, was a rather noble-looking fellow.

He had long brown hair that reached the base of his neck, a thick beard along his chin, was dressed in the finest of royal attire, carried a magnificent curved sword at his side (which was sheathed in it is bejeweled scabbard) and wore a crown of amethyst atop his head. His queen, the lady Eliana, appeared equally noble; despite feeling incredibly concerned for her husband. Her long blonde hair had been braided into a ponytail, she wore a shimmering crown of silver atop her head, was dressed in a beautiful lavender gown, wore a golden necklace around her neck (which bore a magnificent ruby at the center) and in her right hand, she held a long golden scepter.

The four adventurers stared in awe of the royals for so long, they were completely unaware of the impatient glares they were sending them. "Child, who are these strangers you bring before us" Queen Eliana said suddenly, "we sent you to find able-bodied champions...instead; you bring us a she-elf, two felines and a mangy crow!?" Upon hearing these words, the Kenku sorceress let out a shrill cry of outrage; which echoed loudly throughout the hall.

Sensing her companion's apparent distress, Ventris placed a hand upon the Kenku's shoulder and did her best to calm her down. Meanwhile, the messenger did his best to appease his masters for his supposed "failure." "A thousand pardons, my Lord and Lady" he murmured warily, "but...while on my journey to find warriors to aid us, there was a storm; which forced me to seek refuge inside of an inn not far from here."

Upon hearing this; Ventris approached the throne, took a knee and bowed her head respectably. "Your messenger speaks the truth, Your Grace" she stated, "I too was venturing through that same storm until I eventually chose to take cover within the Black Wolf's Inn." Ventris then mentioned that the others arrived at the same place for the same reason she did.

Then, just as the she-elf prepared to continue with her story; she looked at the right side of Eliana's throne and spotted a figure that almost made her jaw fall from her face. It was a male Dragonborn dressed in a beautiful dark-red hooded robe. The sleeves of said robe showed off beautiful streaks of orange and gold stripes that reached the hems of the sleeves.

From the chest to just below the Dragonborn's waist, there was a gorgeous white cloth with gold hemlines. Along the left and right sides of this cloth, there was a collection of odd symbols sewn into the material with golden thread. What the Dragonborn had beneath his robes was equally surprising.

He had blue-grey scales, a long snout with a pointed horn on the end of his nose, large fists with sharp claws at the ends of his fingertips, three-toed feet and a long tail that stuck out beneath his robe. The creature eyed the four strangers silently for what felt like ages until at last, he stepped forward and offered to observe them closely. "Of course, Alucard...but be careful" King Acheron said warily, "who knows what this lot is capable of."

The Dragonborn nodded slightly and, using his mage staff as his walking stick, began to approach the group. As he drew closer, Ezra began to feel nervous and presumed the creature was looking for a chance to strike them down. But instead, he approached Ventris directly and looked straight into her eyes.

(The Real World)

Back in the real world, Lori found herself feeling uncomfortable about her character's situation. "Okay...real talk here for a minute" she asked uneasily, "why is Mr. Grouse's character giving me the stink eye, the girls and I came to help." In response, Lynn Sr. announced that Alucard was well-acquainted with the Elf King of Ventris' homeland.

"I know this reveal doesn't sound like much, girls" Rita stated, "but you'll get to see the elf kingdom in due time." This announcement brought a huge smile to Leni's face. But her jubilant mood quickly ended, when Lisa reminded her that the situation would only be within their imaginations.

"That is true, young lady" Mrs. Johnson stated, "but it seems that your sisters are getting quite invested; nonetheless." At first, Lori was prepared to make some sort of remark about the teacher's statement. But then, she realized the bitter truth; that she and three of her sisters (thus far) _were_ getting invested into the "dorkiness."

"Fine, have it your way" Lori mumbled, "what happens next?" With broad smiles forming across their faces, the Council of Game Masters continued where they left off. "When you look closely at Alucard, you find yourself mildly captivated by the style of his robes" Rita/Eliana explained, "that's when you learn that he is the court's royal advisor and Archmage."

At that moment, Lola raised her hand up and asked what the word meant. "Is Archmage some kind of fancy name for a wizard" she asked, "if so, why not just call him _that?_" While her sisters felt that the question seemed like "typical Leni," everyone else thought it was a valid inquiry about the game.

"Thing is, Leni; there aren't just wizards in this game" Lincoln explained, "there are all kinds of people who can use magic." To help explain it another way, Clyde took out a piece of paper and listed several magic user classes on a one-to-ten list. "Lori's character, Ventris is a mage" he stated, "which puts her somewhere on say...number six or eight."

Surprisingly enough, Leni was able to understand all this and soon realized that an Archmage must've been the "big shot" of magic users. "To make a long story short, Leni; an Archmage can use any kind of magic they want" Becky said suddenly, "it's like...they could blast fire with one hand and use the other to summon ice powers." While this reveal _was_ rather cool to some of the Loud Sisters, they still questioned how and why Mr. Grouse had such a character.

"I'll have you know, lil missy that I had my character since the days I would play this game with my grandkids" the old man said firmly, "and I've been usin' him for almost _ten years!"_ Despite being relative newbies to the game, the Loud Sisters still couldn't help but feel somewhat amazed by this reveal. "It's because he's been so knowledgeable with the game that we decided to appoint Mr. Grouse's character as Acheron and Eliana's advisor" Principal Huggins explained, "and his advice has helped us come to many important decisions."

When asked what these "important decisions" were; the council brought up the game schedule, who among the Council should keep a record of stats for the game and more importantly, the menus they have available for snack and meal breaks. The last reveal caused everyone to snicker softly; not out of spite but rather, amusement. "So, then; what am I to do about his character staring at me" Lori asked

Lynn Sr., after pulling his hood back up, replies in saying that Alucard suddenly embraces Ventris in greeting; upon learning who she is. "He then comments on how tall you have become; saying the last time he saw you, you were a young elfling" Lynn stated, "how do you respond to that?" After thinking on it for almost twenty seconds, Lori replied in saying she'd greet him the same way she would in the presence of a relative; slightly uneasy but no less happy to see them.

"Very good" Mrs. Johnson murmured happily, "you then tell him of how you came to the palace...but the King and Queen don't seem to believe your story, what do you do?" Almost immediately, Lola stood up and proclaimed that the four of them would try and "make" the king believe them. "You _could_ do that" Mrs. Johnson murmured, "but that would require a risky Intimidation check and if your roll comes up short, things could get messy."

The moment this was presented, the two young blondes began to feel rather nervous. "What if we just tell them the truth" Lucy said suddenly, "I know _my_ character can't speak human languages...but maybe, Lola's could explain what happened." The Council commended Lucy on her careful planning and suggested that Lola should be the one to perform such an action.

The reason being was that as a Rogue, Lola's character was capable of using a Persuasion Check. This meant that she could get anyone to believe her words, even if she was lying. "Much like with Intimidation; the bigger the number, the more affective your words will be" Rita stated, "so...good luck."

With that said; Lola took hold of the dice, shook it vigorously between her hands and threw it down on the table. The 20-sided object skipped along her end of the table for several seconds until at last, it stopped; showing the number sixteen on its side. "Okay, I got a sixteen" Lola stated, "is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

The Council smiled at the young pageant princess and assured her it was a very good role. "We shall see how affective it is for you" Lynn Sr. stated, "what would you like to tell the king?" Without hesitation, Lola said that she and her brother were simply taking shelter at the inn; after the storm broke out.

"While on our quest to find someone to assist us in our hour of need, my brother and I took shelter at the inn" she explained in a theatrical-sounding voice, "that was when the barkeep started acting rather offensively towards the three of us." After listening to Lola's testimony; Lynn Sr. said that while the king and queen still had some doubts, their wet clothes and disheveled appearances were clear signs that she spoke the truth. "Soon after our...shall we say, tussle ended; we were approached by your messenger" Lori added, "what is this danger that plagues your people?"

Rather than respond outright; Rita, while in character, asked Lola what sort of danger was plaguing _her _people? "Okay, could I butt in for just a quick sec" Lola interjected suddenly, "what sort of kingdoms do mine and Lola's characters live in, exactly?" Soon after saying this; Lynn Jr. replied in saying that since Tabaxis look like jungle cats, the jungle must be their home.

The moment they heard her words, the Council of Game Masters suddenly applauded Lynn; which greatly confused her. "You are correct, sweetie; nice assumption" her mother commented, "are you sure you haven't played before?" Upon hearing this, the young jock scoffed lightly and said that it seemed rather obvious.

Once that was settled, the Council continued on with the game's story. "With a heavy heart; you, Ursa inform the king that something has caused the vegetation in your jungle home to rot" Principal Huggins stated, "as for the animals...the moment some of them have eaten the rotten fruit, their minds instantly changed." Feeling both worried yet curious, Lana asked what he meant by "changed?"

"I don't know if we should go into...too deep of detail, considering your age" Mrs. Johnson said hesitantly, "but to put it one way, imagine seeing something like...a hippo eating a crocodile. "Not to rain on your creativity, Ma'am" Lisa interjected, "but hippopotami are widely known for being herbivores and there has been little record of them eating any form of meat." Rather than give the wee genius a firm retort, the Council smiled slyly at her and brought back the matter of the rotting fruit.

"The fruit isn't simply rotting in a typical sense, honey" Pop-Pop stated, "thing is...whatever force that's sweeping over the jungle has tainted the land with its dark power!" From here, Rita added that this same force warped the otherwise natural fruits and vegetation of the jungle into something hideous. "Now, whenever herbivores eat any of the leaves or fruits; the dark essence begins to overwhelm _them_ as well" Mrs. Johnson added dramatically, "turning these once kind creatures into ferocious abominations!"

Once this was all said, Lana couldn't decide what she disliked more; the destruction of otherwise "cool" jungle land or the stuff happening with the animals. "With so many creatures going against their biological nature, the Tabaxi people of the Entangling Isles Clan are forced to wall themselves up" Rita explained, "not even the children dare to leave their boarders." The moment this was said; Luna raised her hand and asked how Ezra and Ursa got out, if no one else dared to leave their homes.

"At first, the two of them didn't want to" Principal Huggins replied, "but because Ezra (Lana's character) and Ursa (Lola's character) were tasked by their king to seek out assistance from outside the jungle." When asked why those two were specifically chosen, Lynn Sr. said that Ezra's magic alone wasn't enough to help restore their jungle to normal. "Because of this, the Tabaxi chieftain asked her to find someone who could help strengthen her powers" Lynn stated, "as for Ursa, she would serve as his bodyguard; due to her skills with a blade."

(The Game World)

Upon listening to the Tabaxi duo's tale, thus far; King Acheron found himself deep in thought. Then, he turned towards the she-elf and asked what _her_ reasons were for being out in such conditions. "Before I begin, Your Lordship; I must say that the Rogue's situation seems oddly similar to my own" Ventris stated, "it actually sounds like something my teacher described in a recent vision he received."

Feeling both concerned yet intrigued, Queen Eliana asked what it was that the she-elf's teacher saw in his visions. "I daresay, Your Ladyship that I could not quite make much sense of his words" Ventris sighed, "but as I recall...he spoke of an ancient fortress shrouded in mist in a nearly barren valley." This statement created a great deal of disarray within the great hall.

Soon, every servant and noble present began to murmur fearfully to one another. Upon seeing his court in such dismay, Acheron did his best to call for silence. Afterwards, Alucard approached Ventris and asked for more information on her teacher's visions. "Tell us, madam...how did your master describe this fortress" he inquired, "did it possess any...unique features upon its foundation, by chance?"

For a moment or so, the mage did not know how to respond to the Archmage's question. After a while, she stood still for a moment and did her best to focus her mind; hoping that her foresight would help provide some answers. But alas; due to her magic's current state, the images within her memory came out quite hazy.

"I cannot quite get a clear idea" Ventris grumbled, "but...I see...I see...jewels!" Almost immediately, the court burst out into a fit of outrage; many proclaiming that the elf was simply thinking greedy thoughts. "If you would all be so kind as to let me finish" Ventris grumbled while rubbing her temples, "I can vaguely see that the jewels are...built within the walls' foundation?"

The moment this was mentioned, the entire room echoed with cries of horror and fear; even Alucard found it difficult to keep his reserve. Meanwhile, the king and queen gazed upon one another in silence. But the four "champions" could clearly see the fearful looks upon their faces.

"I don't wish to pry, Lord Acheron" Ventris murmured warily, "but...does this fortress I mentioned hold some sort of significance to your people?" For what felt like ages, neither he nor Eliana answered the elf mage's inquiry; mainly because they did not quite trust her or the others. But then, Alucard approached them and began to explain the history of this fortress.

(The Real World)

At this point in the game, Lynn Sr. looks at his daughters and shows them an illustration on the thing folded out in front of him. "See this, girls; _this_ is what's called the Dungeon Master's/Game Master's Screen" he stated, "this is meant to keep other players from sneaking peeks at our dice rolls or notes." While the Loud Sisters nodded slightly in understanding, they wondered what his info had to do with Ventris' vision.

That was when Principal Huggins gestured towards a specific image on the DM/GM Screen. It was one of a large castle fortress; it was black as night, shrouded in a thick, misty fog and everyone could see large red stones built into the stonework (just like in Ventris' vision.) They saw these same jewels along the towers, including one in the back of the fortress.

"Hey, that's the same place in Lori's vision" Leni chimed in suddenly, "talk about a coincidence." The Loud Sisters and Lincoln softly grumbled at the young blonde's absent-mindedness, wondering if she was paying attention at all. "This _is_ that very fortress, dear" Pop-Pop stated, "and it was once home to a just and compassionate queen."

Upon hearing this, Lynn Jr. burst out laughing and proclaimed that only weirdoes would live in such a place. "I dunno, Sis; that fort actually seems rather homey" Lucy murmured with a smile, "but...why is talking about it causing the court of Avalonis to go bonkers?" Before continuing on, Principal Huggins turned towards Mrs. Bernardo and asked her to create some atmosphere (i.e. dim the lights.)

Without a moment's hesitation, the high school drama teacher did just that; all while giggling with anticipation. Meanwhile, the Council collected another small castle from a chest and placed it upon the game board. The moment the lights dimmed and the curtains closed slightly, everything became eerily dark.

Then, a small glimmer of light began to shine off the game table. While still nervously trembling, the Loud Sisters looked on to see the red jewels on the black fortress shining brightly. This was made possible thanks to a small light bulb inside of the model.

"Oh, wow! Way cool" cried Lana in amazement, "for a minute, I thought those jewels in the model were actually glowing." After giggling heartily at her daughter's statement, Rita explained that the "jewels" on the model were toy jewels, the kind one would find on a child's princess tiara on Halloween. "What's so special about this creepy place anyway, dude" Luna asked, "and why does it have everyone acting so weird?"  
After taking a moment to geek out a little, the council pulled their hoods up and gestured over the fortress model. "What you see before you is the great Bloodstone Keep" Lynn Sr. said dramatically, "a great castle that once stood as a beacon of prosperity for all who lived there." Almost immediately, Lucy interjected in saying that the council "got their info wrong."

"Bloodstones are known to be healing gems" she stated, "but from your description, they sound like anything but." The council nodded slightly at the young Goth and said that her assumption was correct. "Once, long ago; a kind and gracious queen ruled within the Keep" Rita explained, "but then...she suffered a cruel betrayal at the hands of her own sister."

This reveal created a great deal of discourse amongst the Loud Sisters, half of which refusing to believe that siblings would do such a thing to one of their own. "It doesn't seem too farfetched to _me_, to be honest" Lynn Jr. muttered, "I've seen how some of _you_ get, when something you want is on the line." Upon hearing this response, the other Loud Sisters glared daggers at Lynn but she didn't seem to mind.

As the council resumed their story; they mentioned that soon after the invasion, the queen vanished without a trace. "Afterwards, the leader of the invaders seized both the throne and her sister's entire kingdom" Pop-Pop stated, "all this was possible thanks to her enchanted orb." After saying this, Albert gestured towards the illustration of a woman with demonic-looking features.

She had a black dress with a red cloak, wore an ebony crown atop her head, had a purplish-white face and nails as long as eagle talons. "Whoa! I know she's the villain in this...but her clothes look incredible" Lucy murmured, "just look at that crown!" The moment these words passed her lips, the young Goth suddenly shuddered in disgust.

_"Gah! I'm complimenting a fashion item...just like Leni or Lori" _she thought fearfully,_ "if I end up becoming clothes obsessed by the end of this game, I'm burying myself in one of my coffins!"_ Meanwhile, the others were wondering how one woman was able to conquer an entire kingdom. That was when they remembered their Pop-Pop talking about an orb she had.

When they looked at the villain's illustration, the girls could see the item in question in the woman's hands. "Out of curiosity, what's so special about this orb thingy" questioned Leni, "I mean, it totally matches her...creepy but hot look; but still." After sharing a bit of a laugh at the fasionista's words, Lynn Sr. explained that the orb was an object of great power.

"In her mad quest to try and seize her sister's throne; Melaena, the villainess of our game, searched for anything that could help her" he stated, "what she found was an artifact known as the Crimson Orb!" From here, Lynn said that the orb's power was magnified by the moods of whoever possessed it. "WHOA! Sounds like some sort of super-powered mood ring" Luna gasped, "except it's a big ol' crystal ball."

The Council nodded at the young rocker and said the Crimson Orb worked exactly as she described it. "Using the power of this artifact, Melaena laid siege to her sister's home" Rita explained dramatically, "and when the battle ended...there was no sign of the queen anywhere." This caused an eerie chill to wash over the Loud Sisters, who were all wondering if the queen had been captured...or worse.

"With her sister disposed of, Melaena immediately took control of Bloodstone Keep" Mrs. Johnson stated, "whereby she used the power of the orb to change the entire kingdom to match her cruel demeanor." With this reveal, Lucy now understood how the keep became how it looked; as well as why the animals in Ezra and Ursa's homeland were acting odd. Soon, they began to understand why the king and queen were so on edge.

When she saw the uneasiness in her sisters' faces, Lori's "big sister instincts" kicked in and she immediately took charge. "I wish to approach the King and Queen, if I can" she stated, "and I want to tell them that we'd be happy to help them in any way."

(The Game World)

For what felt like ages, King Acheron sat in silence; scratching his chin in deep thought. At first, it seemed as though he might refuse their help. But then, he suddenly felt Queen Eliana's hand rest upon his shoulder; snapping him out of his train of thought.

"They are the first individuals to answer our summons, beloved" she stated, "it would be unwise to shun them when so few others have come to our aid." After taking his wife's words to heart, Acheron gazed firmly at the four strangers and sighed deeply. "Before I make my decision, I must know one thing first" he stated, "are the four of you skilled in any form of combat?"

With a mildly uneasy grin on her face; Ventris assured everyone that her magic would help protect and defend everyone beside her, even at her current level of strength. "My sister and I are also capable fighters" Ezra stated, "of course...my druidic powers are more for healing and defensive purposes." The moment she heard her brother say this, Ursa reminded him that they were feline folk.

"Even without your power and my blades, our claws shall prove quite effective in battle" she assured, "would anyone care to see a demonstration?" Almost immediately, the court quickly urged the Tabaxi female to lay down her arms. "What of the she-crow" questioned Eliana, "has she anything to say in regards to her abilities?"

Upon opening her beak, the bird woman tried her best to speak her piece. But alas, the only thing everyone could hear was a series of noises and trilling noises. At first, the king presumed she was being disrespectful and was prepared to discipline her for it.

But the moment the guards prepared to surround the bird woman, Alucard raised his clawed hand high; which caused them to stop. "Please, do forgive the feathered lass; Your Majesties" he said respectfully, "she is a Kenku and her kind are incapable of speaking any of the known tongues." The bird woman suddenly gave a slight nod, indicating that the elderly Dragonborn had spoken the truth.

"That's a bit of a bother then" murmured Ezra, "how are we to communicate with her, if she cannot speak out languages?" All was silent for several moments and then, Alucard came up with a plan. "With your permission, my Queen; I wish to procure something from the treasury" he asked, "it will help us with our current situation."

While still bearing a most confused look upon her face, the queen granted her advisor his request. A moment or so later, Alucard returned and everyone could see him holding a glowing circlet in his claws. "What do you plan to do with _that_, Sir" questioned Ezra, "and why the devil is it glowing?"

Alucard smiled softly at the young druid and said all questions would be answered, once the circlet is placed atop the Kenku's head. Afterwards, the glow suddenly began to envelop her body slightly. Once it faded away, everyone stared silently at the Kenku worriedly; wondering what might've happened to her.

With the greatest of caution, the messenger boy approached the Kenku and asked if she could understand him. What happened next was so surprising, even Ventris' Frost Wolf pup felt flabbergasted. Without moving her beak, the Kenku female smiled at the lad and said _"yes."_

The court gasped lightly at this sudden answer, wondering how she was doing this. "Alucard...what did you do" questioned Queen Eliana, "how is she communicating with us?" Ventris was equally curious about this and took a moment to observe the Kenku female.

Upon doing so, she immediately noticed a blue aura radiating off of her. "Master Alucard...that spell you used upon the circlet" the she-elf asked hesitantly, "was it some form of telepathic charm, by chance?" The elderly Dragonborn smiled at Ventris and praised her on her knowledge of enchantments.

"While she cannot naturally speak as we do, the spell I used has given our 'friend' here telepathic communication" Alucard explained, "she can now speak to us through her mind." While others found this development to be intriguing; there were those, like Ezra, who felt that such a creature might not be as intelligent as they were. After a while, Alucard calmly approached the Kenku and smiled at her.

"Greetings, friend" he said warmly, "might you be kind enough to share your name with us?" For a while, the Kenku didn't answer; possibly still shocked from being able to speak. Then, after taking a calming breath; she bowed her head and said "Shadow...name Shadow."

Despite the rather simplistic response, it was enough to satisfy everyone. "Tell us, Shadow; what brought you to the Black Wolf's Inn" questioned King Acheron, "are you on some sort of quest or are you searching for your kin?" Upon hearing the second example, several members of the court suddenly started chortling. "With all do respect, my Lord; is it wise to trust this creature" a nobleman murmured, "Kenku are notorious for being thieves and vagabonds."

Shadow hung her head low in shame and said that this was an unfortunate truth about her people. "But I wish to help change that" she stated, "all of my life, I have been treated as an outcast; always looked down upon by others because of what my ancestors did...but I want to try and change that."

(The Real World)

Looking around her, Lucy could see every one of her sisters staring oddly at her; as if she had grown another limb. "Okay...how the heck did you know all that, Luce" questioned Luna, "how could you know somethin' about a character that you've just started playing as?" With a shy smile upon her face; Lucy admitted after everyone went to sleep, she had been reading up on the Kenku race under her covers.

"So, _that's_ what the weird glowing was" Lynn grumbled, "I thought you were writing poetry before bed again." Before the two girls decided to get into an argument (albeit a mild one,) Lynn Sr. stopped them and commended Lucy on her research. "But Daddy, why did the Kenku guys get cursed" Lola asked, "what did her character's ancestors do?"

The Council looked at one another in worried silence, for a moment. Then, with heavy hearts; they began to briefly tell the tale of the Kenku Curse. "Truth be told, sweetie; they lost their ability to fly because the heavens punished them for committing a horrible offense" Rita explained, "but it happened so long ago...few knew what actually happened."

Mrs. Johnson added that as the ages passed, the descendents of the ancient Kenku have been doing anything possible to earn back their ability to fly again; even constructing heavy cloaks that resemble wings. "Aww! Poor bird people" Leni murmured, "not being able to fly is totes like Lori not being able to drive or Luna losing her rock & roll skills." With this simple statement, the young pixie cut rocker suddenly felt a chill run through her.

"Bruh...don't even think of puttin' that idea in my head" she murmured, "if I lose rock, I lose my soul!" After everyone shared a little laugh at Luna's words, the council continued on with the story from there.

(The Game World)

After hearing Shadow's tale of woe, there was much whispering and concerned murmuring in the great hall. Some still viewed her as a scoundrel, in spite of her testimony. Others however, took pity upon Shadow and offered her their sympathies.

"I confess in saying that I do not know of any way to reverse such a curse, unfortunately" Alucard said sullenly, "but perhaps...if you were to join these three others in helping stop Queen Melaena, the gods may free you from it." While such an idea was simply wishful thinking, Shadow still felt like it was something worth attempting at. With that thought in mind, she crouched down slightly and bowed her head; while also spreading her cloak out like wings in a bow.

"What say the rest of you" inquired Alucard, "will you join Shadow in this quest?" Almost immediately, Ventris bowed before the Dragonborn while her wolf pup yipped in agreement. Meanwhile, Ezra and Ursa were chatting amongst themselves; contemplating on whether or not they should get involved.

"We set out to find allies to help save _our_ people" she growled softly, "instead, we find ourselves wrapped up in the troubles of a land of outsiders!" While he shared some of his sister's stress, Ezra felt that what was happening affected more than just their jungle.

"Whatever this...Melaena has done or _is_ doing, it affects us all" he informed, "therefore, we must try and stop it however we can." At first, Ursa felt like arguing with her brother...but she couldn't deny the overall truth of his words. "But what chance do the four of us actually have" she asked, "your powers aren't attack based, the she-elf is obviously a novice and who knows what the Kenku is capable of."

Before their conversation could continue any further, they suddenly heard the queen lightly clearing her throat. "We await your answer, young ones" she said firmly, "will you or will you not help us?" After sharing one last glance at each other, Ezra and Ursa knelt before the queen and agreed to help.

"All that I ask is that you do not get in my way" the female Tabaxi murmured while looking towards Ventris, "and try not to accidentally turn me into something smaller than a lizard...if you can." With a frustrated blush on her face, the elven mage threatened to make good on Ursa's request; should she ever rouse her temper. As this was happening, Ezra quickly stepped in-between them and tried his best to quell their hostility.

"If we are to act as the kingdom's champions, we have to work together" he urged softly, "if we don't...all of our homes will be put at risk." The two ladies glared firmly at each other while thinking on Ezra's words. Then, after letting out a weary sigh; they agreed to work together.

"Excellent, we thank you for answering our call" Queen Eliana said gratefully, "for now...let us offer you refreshments and a good night's rest in our palace; as a small token of gratitude." The moment the offer was mentioned, the trio could suddenly feel their limbs aching slightly and their bodies shivering. "One other request, if I may be so bold to ask" murmured Ezra, "might we also be permitted to take a warm bath?"

Without a second thought, the king and queen happily granted the Tabaxi's request. "Lead these four to the bathhouse in the village" Acheron ordered, "and while they bathe, have the cooks prepare a feast for us." Without hesitation, the king's orders were quickly carried out. The royal kitchen staff went to work prepping the meal, while Alucard led the foursome out to the bathhouse.

(The Real World)

After this, the hall suddenly echoed with the sounds of a golden bell ringing. Afterwards; Mrs. Bernardo, while dressed in her crier uniform, began marching about the room while ringing said bell. "What the heck is she doing that for" grumbled Lori, "we are literally in the middle of a game here!"

As if she heard her complaints, the high school drama teacher soon stopped marching and turned towards the players. "Good people of House Greyhawk, the hour is now 8 of the clock" she announced, "the time has come to sup and retire to our chambers for a good rest." With this announcement, everyone wished each other goodnight and headed off for their rooms.

The whole time this was happening, the girls simply stared at them in confusion. "Wait...that's it" questioned Lynn, "the game is over..._I DIDN'T EVEN GET TO PLAY YET!"_ After helping their daughter calm down, Rita explained that the game has only just begun.

"Tomorrow, we continue right where we left off" she assured, "who knows which one of you will be joining the game next." The Loud Sisters (sans Lily) felt a mixture of annoyance, bitterness, impatience and disdain well up inside of each of them. "Do we really have to keep playing though" whined Lori, "this game literally feels like it's dragging on and I don't know what to expect next."

With a bright smile forming across his face, Lincoln said that while the game _can_ seem to drag (for some players;) not knowing what comes next was the overall point of the game. "No one knows where the adventure will go next" Clyde added, "that's the fun of it, the unexpectedness and unpredictable nature of the game." Upon hearing this, Lisa rolled her eyes and claimed that she failed to see any of the supposed fun.

"I am a scientist, I do not care for unpredictable variables" she murmured, "I prefer things to be on point." This statement caused several other players to snicker softly, while others claimed she was simply bitter because she didn't get to play yet. But then, everyone went silent; when they saw Principal Huggins raise his hand.

"I know the rest of you girls are anxious to start getting your feet wet...so to speak" he stated, "but rest assured, your time to shine _will _come." Lynn Jr. simply grumbled at the principal and proclaimed she had better things to do than sit on the sidelines while everyone else was playing. Thus, she was prepared to leave the building forthwith.

But before she could move so much as a foot away from the game table, Lynn suddenly felt her mother's hand rest upon her shoulder. When the young jock looked over at her, she could see a very stern look on her mother's face. "Now, young lady; the game isn't over yet" Rita said in a no-nonsense tone, "you agreed to play the game to the very end."

Soon after that, Lynn Sr. stepped forward and recited said rule for all his daughters to hear. "It's your choice girls" he said firmly, "either stay with us and play...or face punishment for leaving the house against our wishes and following us." Upon mentioning this, Mrs. Johnson suggested putting the Sisters all on kitchen duty.

"That's it...that's the best punishment you've got, please" scoffed Lynn Jr., "we're a family of thirteen, we've done plenty of dish duty sessions." While their sister spoke the truth, Lisa was quick to remind her elder sibling of one minor difference in the scenarios. Their family's dishes consisted of the thirteen of them and their house pets, whereas the dish cleanup here involved tending to almost 200 or so dishes.

Upon hearing the number, the Loud Sisters almost fainted with shock. "And if dish duty still seems too small for you, there is always bathroom cleanup" Flip said suddenly, "word of warnin' for ya, I just ate a Frito chili pie and at my age...well, let's just say there's a bit of a mess in the ol' privy." Naturally, the rest of the crowd gagged loudly with disgust at this reveal.

But as sickened as _they_ were by it, the Loud Sisters appeared on the verge of vomiting...all except for Lana. "Okay, okay...we'll keep playing" Lori cried submissively, "just please, don't talk about bathroom messes anymore!" With that said; everyone smiled, wished the girls goodnight and went off to bed.

As they trudged off up their rooms, little Lily suddenly started yipping like a pup. "Um...Lily, the game is over for the night" Lori murmured, "you can stop pretending now." Much to the eldest Loud girl's surprise, Lily frowned at her and shook her head firmly in response.

Afterwards, she broke out of Lori's arms and proceeded to run off on all fours; all while yowling like a wolf. "Man, I wish _we_ could get that excited about this game" Luna muttered, "but I've yet to get into the mood." Then, much to Luna's surprise; she suddenly felt Sam kiss her lightly on the cheek as she passed her.

"Don't worry, my Purple Pixie" she said sweetly, "this game's just like playin' music; once you find the groove and let it flow through you, everything else is easy." With that, she wished Luna one final good night and went off with Simon to their room. For a few moments, Luna just stood there; resting her hand upon her cheek where Sam kissed her.

Then, she looked at herself in a wall mirror and her GF's words suddenly started echoing in her head. _"This game is just like playin' music"_ Sam's voice stated,_ "once you find the groove and let it flow through you, everything else is easy."_ Perhaps Sam had a point, all Luna had to do was wait and find her groove in the game,

_"I just hope it won't take long for me to find it" _she thought,_ "otherwise...this is gonna be a looooong game."_

(First AN: Thus ends Day One of the campaign and so far, four of the Loud Sisters are starting to become invested in it. But what will happen next, when the game resumes the next morning? Tune in next time, to find out.)

(Second AN: I know that this chapter didn't include a lot of D&D style gameplay; dice rolls, Insight Checks, Arcana Checks etc. But that's only because this is the introductory part of the game. In the next chapter, the fun really begins.)

(Third AN: I'm well aware that technically speaking, the Kenku race is incapable of verbal communication and mostly use a form of mimicry. But for this particular campaign, I felt it'd be cool if a Kenku was given a form of telepathic communication. This way, outside of the game; Lucy will be able to speak normally...instead of making random noises and possibly, embarrassing herself.)

(Final AN: Some might think I'm going overkill with Lana's character of Ezra mentioning that the unknown blight spreading across his jungle home is causing herbivores to act carnivorous. But it's like the council said, Melaena's using the Crimson Orb to warp the world into whatever she pleases and that includes messing with nature.)


	8. Chapter Six: The Adventure Begins

The Adventure Begins

The following morning, everyone headed down to the game hall for the next part of their campaign. But first, they made sure to have a hearty breakfast; courtesy of Lynn Sr. As the girls took their seats, their friends all started chatting excitedly about the start of their quest.

"Today's the day, girls" Lincoln giggled, "your adventure in the game will be making its official start, are you excited?" In response; Lori, Lucy, Lana and Lola simply answered with uneasy grins on their faces. This seemed mildly disappointing to Lincoln but in his mind, he reminded himself that they were still just starting out.

"Just you wait, girls" he said with a hopeful grin, "once your quest begins..._that's _when you'll probably get into it." With that said, he returned to his breakfast; leaving his sisters to contemplate on his words while they also ate.

(Line Break)

Once breakfast had been finished, forty minutes later; the dishes were cleared away and the game board and pieces were back in their proper places. Soon after that, Lynn Sr. began divulging details on the game's scenario; which involved the girls' characters preparing to leave the kingdom of Avalonis to begin their journey to the Bloodstone Keep. "The king and queen give the four of you horses to ride with, on your journey along with bags of supplies" he explained, "while Alucard offers up a map to Ventris."

Almost immediately, Lori asked if the aforementioned map would lead them directly towards the fortress. "Indeed, it does" replied Mr. Grouse, "provided that you keep to the path Alucard outlined on the map." With that, the Council explained the first place the map would take them to; the Forest of Mara-Kai

"Be warned, many dangers may lie ahead of you" said Rita dramatically, "keep on the path and you will reach your goal safely." The girls nodded in understanding and began moving their minifigs outside of the castle model. "You mount up and ride on for almost three days" explained Principal Huggins as Game Master Fastred, "on the fourth day; you all find yourselves walking through the Forest of Mara-Kai."

(The Game World)

As they wandered through the woods, the party kept their weapons held high and their guard up. "Master Alucard told me of this forest, before our departure" Ventris whispered, "he said this place is home to many unusual creatures." With a confident smile spreading across his face, Ezra proudly assured everyone that they were safe.

"I have studied the ways of Druidism since I was a wee cub" he stated, "should any beasties approach us, I should be able to handle them." Despite his bravado, the ladies were not quite so comforted by the male Tabaxi's words; his sister, most of all. "The last time you said that, Brother; you had a flock of birds chasing you 'round the jungle for half a day" Ursa snickered, "your fur reeked of scat for even longer."

Rather than hiss at his sister for her comments, Ezra decided to focus on seeking a safe path through the wood. With his staff in his hands, he sat in a kneeling position and began to focus his mind.

(The Real World)

As our story returns to the real world, we find Lynn Sr./Game Master Acheron reciting these events to Lana. "For this action, you will need to make a Divination Roll" he explained, "would you like for me to explain to you what it is?" Despite the objections of the three sisters beside her, Lana accepted her dad's offer and bade him to continue.

"Considering your age, honey; I'll try to explain it as best as I could" he stated, "no offense meant." Lana smiled softly at her father and assured him that all was good. "Okay...Divination is something most magic users perform" Lynn began, "it basically means that when you use it...you're asking a heavenly being or in your character's case, the spirits of nature to provide some power to help do what you need to do." At first, Lana didn't quite seem to understand the explanation.

But when she heard about the "asking a heavenly being for help" part, she realized that Divination was like a form of praying. "So...I role the dice to make a prayer to nature" she asks, "what happens, after that?" From here; Rita/Game Mistress Eliana said that depending on her role, Lana's druid character would be able to call animals to her.

If she rolled high enough, she could call upon big creatures (like bears or hawks) to help her. "But be warned; like any kind of magic, druid powers come at a price" Mrs. Johnson/Game Mistress Agathe announced, "it only works once per turn and if your character isn't strong enough...using this move could leave him weak." Lana gulped softly yet nervously at the reveal, took hold of the dice and shook it as hard as she could.

After giving it a toss, she crossed her fingers (and toes) for luck; hoping to get a good roll. Alas...once it stopped, everyone could see it showing off a small "8." At first, Lana took this as a bad sign. But then, her parents assured her that she could still summon an animal to assist her; just not a very large one.

"In _that_ case, I make a call out to any birds around" she stated, "I ask 'if any hawk, falcon, eagle or bird can hear my voice...come to us.'" After taking a moment to mentally applaud their daughter for getting into the swing of things, Lynn and Rita tell her that her call worked. "Within moments, what looks like a falcon glides down towards you" explained Principal Huggins/Game Master Fastred, "he lightly perches atop your staff and stares deep into your eyes."

After this, Mrs. Johnson stepped in (so to speak) and began speaking in a sort of scratchy "bird-like" voice. "I heard your call, Groundling" she said while in character, "what do you wish of me." At first, Lana didn't answer; feeling amazed by the result of her dice roll.

Then, fifteen seconds later, Lola managed to snap her back to her senses and urged her to make her move. "Okay...um...I've got an idea" she exclaimed, "I first ask the falcon if he knows if there are any dangers in the forest to worry about." Much to her dismay, the council informed that the falcon didn't trust her enough to offer such knowledge to her.

"Had you rolled anything close to/above a twenty or maybe a fifteen, this idea would've worked" Pop-Pop/Game Master Karuk said sullenly, "you may want to think of something else to say." While this news _did_ disappoint her, Lana fully understood the circumstances and began to think of a new idea. "Okay...how does _this _sound" she inquired, "I look the falcon in the eyes and ask him how long it would take us to reach the other end of the forest."

After this, the Council took a quick moment to look into one of their books for something. Then, after having a brief "pow-wow;" they turned back towards Lana and Lynn Sr. rolled a couple of dice he had. "The falcon agrees to your request" he stated, "he takes flight into the air and after half a minute, it flies back to you and says the opposite side of the forest is forty miles from where they stand."

Upon hearing this reveal, Lori thanked the heavens the game was all in their heads. She could never see herself hiking through the woods for forty miles. "Out of curiosity, could _I _be able to ask the falcon about any possible dangers ahead" questioned Lucy, "it seems like the best thing to do."

While everyone agreed with the idea; several people quickly reminded the young Goth that only Druids, Rangers and Bards could utilize the "Speak with Animals" ability. "Ah, dang it" grumbled Lori and Lucy; "guess we're going in this blind."

(The Game World)

After walking through the Forest of Mara-Kai for almost twenty minutes, nothing seemed too amiss; save for one thing. The trees grew so tall and the leaves upon their branches were so thick that only thin traces of sunlight shined down upon them. Had it not been for Ventris' staff helping light the way, they'd surely be lost.

"Drat it, how long have we been walking through this forest" grumbled Ezra, "it feels as though the sun had set ages ago." Shadow the Kenku sorceress shook her head slightly and informed everyone that it was still midday. "Well, it certainly _feels_ as miserable as nightfall in a place such as this" Ursa hissed softly, "I'm libel to climb the trees myself and have a look about."

Ezra snickered softly upon hearing this, proclaiming that her sister's fear of heights would keep her from going any higher than the stump. "Perhaps _you_ should go up instead, Brother" Ursa growled, "I will help you...by giving you a good kick in the tail!" Just as the two siblings were prepared to battle one another, they were suddenly encased by a blue aura and frozen in their tracks.

While in their frozen state, Ezra's eyes darted about rapidly; desperate to discover who was holding him this way. It was then that both he and Ursa noticed that Ventris' staff was glowing brightly. "My apologies for doing this to you both" murmured the she-elf, "but if we hope to survive the rest of the way, we cannot bicker amongst ourselves!"

After that, she unfroze the both of them and demanded that they cooperated until they've all left the forest in one piece. Knowing that it would be unwise for them to challenge a mage, the siblings reluctantly agreed. With that, Ventris waved her hand over the top of her staff and the glow faded away; thus releasing the twins from their frozen state.

"We must stand together, if we hope to survive this forest" the elf mage said matter-of-factly, "let alone the remainder of our quest." After taking a moment to stretch their limbs, Ezra and Ursa agreed to adhere to their colleague's wishes...for now. After that, Ventris took a look at the map and tried to find the best path out of the forest.

"This says that there is a stream not too far from here" she stated, "if we follow it, we might see a shortcut out of this place." With that, Ventris gestured for everyone to follow her; while also instructing them to stick together. Through much of the journey, everything felt rather calm; which led Ezra to believe that things might go smoothly for them.

But Shadow seemed to think otherwise, stating that the silence could also mean that they were being watched. "Who could possibly be watching us here" chortled Ezra, "aside from a few birds and beasts, of course?" While she didn't quite approve of how he said them, Ursa found herself agreeing with her brother's words.

Thus far, their journey through Mara-Kai was met with little difficulty; save for the lack of bright sunlight. In time, they came upon the stream Ventris saw illustrated on her map. This was a welcomed sight for Ezra, who appeared on the verge of dehydration.

"We should rest here for a spell" Ventris suggested, "I will fill up our canteens at the river; the rest of you, keep watch for any signs of danger." Everyone nodded in understanding while the wee Frost Wolf pup, Lupa simply barked softly.

(The Real World)

Back at the table, Lori and the girls seemed to think that things would be going smoothly by this point. But when they saw the wile look in their parents' eyes, they realized that something big was about to happen soon. "All goes well for the four of you, while you rest" Rita/Game Mistress Eliana said with a smile, "but then...you hear a mysterious rustling in the bush somewhere around you."

Upon hearing this statement, several people on the sidelines begin shaking pom-poms; so as to somewhat simulate the rustling sounds. Much to their surprise, this added element seems to work; as Lily, Lana and Lola (who all have their eyes closed) suddenly murmur with mild alarm. "The rustling seems far away, at first...as if miles from your location" Principal Huggins murmured, "when suddenly...AN OWLBEAR LEAPS OUT FROM THE BUSHES!"

Upon making this declaration, he suddenly slams something onto the game table; thus shocking the five Loud Sisters slightly. Miraculously enough, this didn't cause Lily to burst out into tears. Instead, after letting out a small yelp; she looked out onto the table and saw a small mini figure about the side of a softball.

At first, none of the Loud Sisters knew what to make of it. The creature appeared to have the body and stature of a grizzly bear. But in place of a typical bear's head, it had the head and beak of a horned owl. "Jumpin' Geronimo, what the heck is that thing" cried Luna, "is it some kind of mutant?!"

Without pause, the Council told the young rocker that her assumption was partially correct. "What you see, dear is a critter fantasy stories and games like this call an Owlbear" Pop-Pop stated, "no one knows _how_ they came into being...apart from a rather oddball theory that's been known throughout the fantasy fanbase." Intrigued by the mention of a theory, Lisa inquired to hear a portion of it...for "scientific reasons."

"To make a long story short, Lisa...a crazy sorcerer decided to crossbreed a giant owl with a grizzly for 'fun'" Lincoln explained, "when I first heard about it, I was reminded of one of your earliest science experiments." Upon hearing this, everyone asked Lincoln what sort of experiment she performed. "She wanted to try and make humans both warm _and_ cold-blooded" he said sarcastically, "which involved injecting someone with reptile DNA."

As expected, this news caused everyone to cry out in disgust; some going as far as saying she was no better than the alleged wizard that created the Owlbears. Of course, Lisa defended herself in saying that what they were describing was fantasy, while her work was a "scientific reality." "That's not entirely so, dear" Rita stated, "in both spectrums, there are people who misuse such gifts and end up creating horrific atrocities in the process."

Just as Lisa was about to launch into a debate with her mother, a few people cried out impatiently for the game to continue. "Oh, yes...that's right" Rita chuckled sheepishly, "now, where were we here?" In response to her inquiry, Lily suddenly started shouting the words "Teddy Bird" to her.

"Oh, yes; the Owlbear" she murmured with a smile, "okay...girls, I'm gonna need you four to roll for initiative." Upon hearing this, the girls blinked dumbly and tilted their heads; appearing confused by the order. "Oh, that's right...you're all still learning" Lynn Sr. chuckled sheepishly, "rolling for initiative means you'll have to roll to see who makes the first move."

From there, he explained that the four of them would need to roll one of their 20-sided die all at once. Whichever one among them rolled the highest number makes the first move. "Okay, I think I get it now" Lori murmured, "let's do it, girls!" With that; they each took their die, shook it vigorously between their hands and sent them flying seconds later.

When they all came to a stop, everyone studied them closely to see who had the highest number. Lori's dice showed off a solid 20 (or a Nat 20 as the Council called it,) Lucy had a 24, Lana had 15 and Lola had 18. "Good...now that you've all rolled, here's how this part works" Mrs. Johnson began, "you will all take turns performing actions against the Owlbear based on the order of each of your numbers, from highest to lowest."

The girls all nodded slightly, appearing to understand her explanation; then, they took note of everyone's numbers. "Okay, it looks like...Lucy will be going first" Rita announced, "what do you do?" At the moment, the young Goth didn't know how to answer; considering this was her first time playing.

"I...I might need some help here" she murmured frantically, "as a sorceress, am I able to use spells on the creature?" After a brief period of deliberation, the Council informed her that she _could_ use spells...just not very strong ones yet. "At this stage of the game, your character doesn't quite have the strength or endurance levels to use powerful stuff yet" Rita explained, "but you _can _use what are known as 'Cantrips' and there's also your own normal weapons."

The moment they heard it, all ten Loud Sisters suddenly started giggling at the word "Cantrip;" thinking it was some kind of goofy potion or a creature. "Actually, girls...a Cantrip is a form of magic spell casters can use" Pop-Pop stated, "but unlike other forms of sorcery, they can be used at any given moment and don't take up too much energy." Following this, he added that Cantrips were actually rather weak when compared to other spells.

But when used properly and when the player has rolled a high enough dice number, they could be a strong defensive tool (emphasis on "could be.") "Okay, I think I got it" Lucy stated, "in that case...I use _this _one on the Owlbear, 'Fire Bolt.'" Feeling curious, the girls asked what this particular spell was and if it was strong.

"Sadly, it isn't devastatingly strong" sighed Rita, "but a Fire Bolt _could_ be a good move...depending on how you use it." From here, she explained that it was simply a typical fireball attack; something that Lucy saw many times in the witch stories she would read. "I will need you to make a...Ranged Spell Check, if this is going to be your move" Rita stated, "this means that we'll be checking how far the fireball will go."

Lucy nodded in understanding, shook up the dice and managed to roll a fifteen. "Okay...due to the roll, your Fire Bolt doesn't strike the Owlbear dead on" Lynn Sr. murmured sadly, "but the good news is you _did_ manage to graze him on his left shoulder blade by just enough." After this, he picked up a D10 dice to see how much fire damage Lucy's attack delivered.

After giving said dice a quick shake, he sent it flying and it rolled about slightly for five seconds before landing on the number 7. "Your Fire Bolt doesn't harm the Owlbear too grievously" Lynn Sr. informed, "but it _does_ burn it a little, making the critter realize you won't be so easy to take down." After that, the baton was passed on to Lori; who was in the middle of thinking up her own strategy.

"Okay...since Lucy wasn't able to hurt it with _her_ attack, I think _I _might give it a shot" she stated, "are mages able to use these...Cantrip thingies too?" Without hesitation, the Council simultaneously nodded their heads and urged her to proceed. After that, Lori began looking over the list Lucy had for the best kind of spell to use.

"OOH! This one literally sounds just right" she said with a grin, "I cast 'Acid Splash' at the Owl Bear!" Upon making this choice, Principal Huggins/Fastred asked Lori to make the same Range Check Lucy did a moment ago. As she took hold of the dice, she mentally threatened it to give her a good roll..."or else."

After shaking and rolling the dice, it bounced across the game table for about six seconds before coming to a stop. When everyone looked at the number, they suddenly erupted into a fit of cheers; which caused Lori to cover her ears painfully. "Okay...could you all _please _stop cheering so loudly" she whined, "you're literally making my ears ring!"

After taking a moment to calm down, Lincoln proudly hugged his eldest sister and congratulated her on her roll. "Okay...did I do something good" she asked hesitantly, "why is my roll so important?" Rather than respond to her inquiry verbally, everyone directed Lori's attention to the dice; which showed off a bold number 20 on its side.

"You just rolled a Nat 20, sweetheart" Pop-Pop said with great praise, "that means your attack was a direct hit." Now, Lori was still hesitant in becoming fully invested in the game. But after hearing this news about her successful dice roll, she couldn't help but giggle slightly with delight.

For her, the moment felt like getting a hole in one at golf on her first try. After that, Principal Huggins picked up a D6 dice to see how much damage the attack delivered. He shook it vigorously for four seconds, tossed it and let out a pained hiss; which seemed to make Lori think she was in trouble.

"Your Nat 20 role delivers a direct hit to the Owlbear's face" he explained with a wry smile, "the sting of the acid causes it to let out a pained cry, one that sounds like a mix of an owl's screech and a bear's roar!" To elaborate, he explained that the D6 die he rolled showed a number 5. This meant that the Owlbear took a great deal of damage from the acid.

The next to make her move was Lola, who seemed to be scratching her head frantically. "Okay...I'm guessing _my_ character can't use powers like that, right" she murmured, "what _can_ she do, then?" After that, Lynn Sr. suggested using Intimidation on the Owlbear; considering how startled it currently feels from the earlier attacks.

"Intimidation...you mean like threaten it" questioned Lola, "in _that _case, I'll do it!" The Council smiled at her slightly and asked how she would choose to threaten/intimidate the Owlbear. "I'm a cat creature, right" she asks, "I could try screeching at it...or how about I roar at it?!"

Everyone nodded enthusiastically at the idea and highly recommended using the roaring option, considering how Lola's character was like a jungle cat. With a devious smile upon her face; she picked up the Owlbear figure, looked it in the eyes and snarled like a leopard. "Not so fast, sweetie" Rita said suddenly, "you need to roll for Intimidation first."

Upon hearing this, the young pageant princess/rogue chuckled sheepishly and took the dice in her hand. After giving it a shake and rolling it, it skipped along the table before landing on the number 17. "Okay..._now,_ I growl like a leopard at the Owlbear" Lola said emphatically, "with a number like seventeen, it's gotta do _something_ to him...right?"

Much to her relief; the Council said that while her intimidating methods didn't outright terrify the creature, they were enough to alarm it. "Think of it as something like...when you wave your arms out at the sides while being confronted by a real bear" Principal Huggins explained, "while it doesn't do much, it makes the creature think you're bigger than he is." With that done, the ball was now in Lana's court; who was currently in the middle of looking over _her_ character's spells.

Alas, much to her dismay; there wasn't anything within her experience level that would seem effective enough against the beast. "Why not try using one of your natural weapons" suggested Zach, "Druids have quarterstaffs, daggers, clubs and even a sling to choose from." Upon hearing this, Lana suddenly felt an idea forming in her head; one that she thought could be of great use to her team.

"Since we're in a forest, there must be a beehive somewhere" she asked, "I'd like to look for one quick." While her sisters were confused by Lana's notion, everyone else was curious to see where she was going with it. "In that case, give me a Perception Check roll" Lynn Sr. requested, "the higher your roll is for this, the easier it will be for you to find what you need."

Lana nodded in understanding, picked up the D20 and shook it as fast as she could. After rolling it, everyone (even her) see it land on the number 18; which filled the young tomboy with some confidence. "You look up in the tree above the Owlbear and spot a beehive hanging from a branch" explained Pop-Pop, "remember that...the next time you girls attack."

With that simple phrase, the time came for the Owlbear to make its move; which made the girls feel somewhat nervous.

(The Game World)

The party looked on tensely, as the Owlbear glared at them with its coal-black eyes. Despite the traces of acid dripping off its face and its left shoulder blade showing a small burn mark, the beastie still held its ground. Then, after letting out a ferocious screech; the Owlbear charged.

Thinking quickly, Ventris attempted to create a barrier shield to protect herself. But due to the Owlbear's speed, she was unable to summon it in time. As a result, the beast rammed its head into the elf mage's gut; which sent her flying into the bushes.

Alarmed by the assault on her mistress, Lupa growled at the Owlbear and proceeded to bite at one of its legs. But despite her ferocity, her tiny fangs and claws did little to agitate the Owlbear; let alone hurt it. With a stern look in its bulbous eyes, the creature lifted up the leg Lupa was gnawing at and gave it a hard swing; sending the wee pup crashing against the trunk of a nearby tree.

Though it wasn't very severe, the frost wolf pup still whimpered painfully from the collision. Ezra, upon seeing Lupa lying on the ground, snarled with rage and immediately put his plan into action. Thinking quickly, he collected some stones from off the ground; placing one of them into his sling.

At the same time, the Owlbear was slowly approaching wee Lupa; intent on making her its next meal. This was the moment where Ezra sprang into action, at last. With lightning fast reflexes, he proceeded to strike the Owlbear with a few of the other stones; much to the shock of his comrades.

"Ezra, you fool...what are you doing" hissed Ursa, "are you planning on killing yourself?!" Her brother did not answer her cries, choosing only to focus on trying to gain the creature's attention. After the sixth stone was thrown, the Owlbear snarled bitterly at Ezra and turned his attention towards _him_ instead.

But in spite of that, the young druid did not appear all that concerned. _"That's it, you abomination of nature"_ he thought to himself, _"come to me...I have a surprise waiting for ye."_ With this thought in mind, he cautiously moved his hand towards the last stone he had.

The Owlbear quickly noticed this and leapt into action, charging right for him. Elsewhere, Shadow had finished healing Ventris of any minor injuries caused by the beast and she slowly but surely pushed herself up from the dirt. The moment her vision cleared, the she-elf caught sight of the Owlbear rushing towards Ezra.

Just as she was moments away from warning him, Ventris could see Ezra spinning his sling rapidly. Then, a split-second later; he sent a stone flying upward; which proceeded to snap through a tree branch overhead. After that, the beehive it held fell hard like a stone atop the Owlbear's head; shattering upon impact.

Their home destroyed, the bees that once occupied said hive proceeded to swarm all around the Owlbear; stinging him viciously. Started by the onslaught, the beast raced off into the distance in a desperate attempt to outrun the bees. Once it had departed, all was quiet once more.

"Bless my soul" murmured Ventris in surprise, "I did not expect you to make such a move, young druid...thank you." With a pleased squawk emanating from her beak, Shadow extended her praises unto Ezra as well. "That was rather clever, Brother" murmured Ursa, "but I speak for us all when I say next time, inform us of your ideas beforehand!"

Ezra chuckled heartily at his sister and agreed to her request. After Ventris helped heal Lupa of her minor injuries, the party was ready to continue on their trek out of Mara-Kai. But then, there came yet another rustling in the bush; which made them feel quite bothered.

(The Real World)

Back at the table; the four Loud Sisters grumbled in bitter annoyance, after hearing their mother describe their current situation in the game. "Great, is it another Owlbear" Lori seethed, "because I cannot literally deal with another one of those freaks!" Before anything else could be said, the eldest Loud Sister suddenly noticed Bobby acting rather peculiar.

His eyes were gleaming, he was bouncing giddily, he had an odd smile upon his face and he appeared to be desperate to say something...but was restraining himself in doing so. The Council took notice of this and chuckled merrily at him. "Patience, dear" sighed Mrs. Johnson, "very soon, we'll get to the good part."

That one simple statement was just enough to catch the four Loud Girls' attention and Lori proceeded to ask what the "good part" was. "Just like we told him, honey...be patient" Lynn Sr. stated, "we've gotta get the mood right first." With that; he turned his attention towards the band nearby and gave them a silent nod.

With a laugh in each of their throats, the group proceeded to collect a series of medieval woodwind instruments (such as fifes, pan flutes, a small set of bagpipes and something their dad called an Ocarina." Then, Chunk stepped over and picked up a lute; eager to start playing.

All was quiet for a few seconds and then, after Lynn Sr. gave the signal, the band started playing. The tune was rather nice, sounded rather whimsical (which even the likes of Lucy and Haiku found charming.) Then, Rita stepped forward and began to describe the game scenario.

"Soon after the Owlbear has fled, you hear a rustling in the brush" she murmured dramatically, "then...you hear footsteps, rather soft footsteps approaching your location." In that moment, everyone could see the four girls' eyes darting about anxiously; as if they expected something to leap out at them. This seemed to please them, feeling that the narration coupled with the musical accompaniment was successful in helping the girls get in the game.

"The footsteps and rustling approaches ever nearer to you" whispered Pop-Pop in his Karuk voice, "when suddenly from out of the bushes, A HOODED FIGURE LEAPS AT YOU!" Soon after this was said; Bobby giggled like a mad man, reached into his cloak, pulled out a figurine and placed it excitedly upon the game table.

Curious, Lori gazed down at the figure and noticed how near identical it looked to how Bobby was dressed. It was then that she realized that it must've been his "elf character," Alexi Long-Strider. "You all look upon this stranger with wary eyes, wondering who they are and why they've come" murmured Mrs. Johnson, "best hope he's on _your_ side, ladies."

(First AN: As they say in Smash Bros., "a new player has joined the game!" Who is this young elf, where did he come from and _is_ he on the girls' side? Tune in next time, Dungeon Crawlers, as the Loud Sisters journey through D&D continues.)

(Second AN: This chapter had me doing a lot of research; particularly with all the spells Lori, Lucy and Lana used. While this game, much like some real world D&D sessions, don't include the characters leveling up; as newbies, the girls haven't studied any kind of strong spells to use yet. As such, they're using mostly Cantrips.

In time, they may come across spell books within the game that will help teach them new stuff...just not yet.)

(Third AN: In the past, some reviewers wanted me to show the girls utilizing game knowledge or learning a few tricks during each of their turns. I hope I did well in fulfilling your requests. As stated in the second Author's Note, I did a lot of research online about certain things for their characters.)

(Final AN: The theory on the creation of Owlbears _is _in fact real. Aside from D&D, fantasy mediums like Pathfinder and Vanillaware's Dragon's Crown have mentioned the "demented wizard" thing. More to the point, I thought it would be funny to parallel it with Lisa's scientific "hobbies;" considering she is often demented herself, despite her age.)


	9. Chapter Seven: The Kingdom of Lemerius

The Kingdom of Lemerius

(The Game World)

As both sides found themselves in a stare-down, the party couldn't decide whether this figure was friend or foe. During the silence, Ventris suddenly found herself eyeing up the figure's attire. From their hood, to the design of their clothing, the style of their bow right down to the pieces of armor this stranger wore; something seemed...familiar about them.

At the same, the figure's attention slowly fell upon Ventris; as if they were eying her up. Then, he suddenly drew out an arrow and aimed it directly at the group. _"Pusta, edlon"_ the stranger shouted, _"ma gin, __O van odúleg?__?"_

Upon hearing the stranger speak, everyone realized that there was a man beneath his hood. Unfortunately, at the same time; Shadow and the Tabaxi Twins found themselves confused by his rather odd language. Meanwhile Ventris found herself intrigued by this stranger.

(The Real World)

Back at the table; Lori found herself scratching at her head so hard, she came close to giving herself a bald spot. "Okay, time out here" she cried, "could somebody _please_ explain to me what Bobby...his character...OR WHOEVER...is saying to me?!" In response, the Council decided to give Lori and her sisters (that is, the four who were currently playing) a bit of a lesson.

"If you remember what we told you earlier, not every creature within the world of Dungeons & Dragons speaks English" Principal Huggins explained, "or as the game would call it, the 'Common Tongue.'" After tagging in; Lynn Sr. added that every so often, they might encounter characters that might speak in an entirely different dialect or language. "In Bobby's case, he is an elf" Rita stated, "and _his_ race speaks both the Common Tongue and their native Elvish."

Soon after hearing this, Lori realized that _her_ character was an elf as well; which meant she could also speak the two aforementioned languages. "There's just one big problem here" she said matter-of-factly, "how am I supposed to communicate with Bobby, I don't know any elf words...or whatever." Upon hearing this; like a knight in shining armor, Young Roberto came to his lady's rescue.

After retrieving it from inside of his tunic, he placed a small book upon the table and asked everyone to slide it over towards Lori. Once it reached her and she got a look at it, Lori couldn't help but think that it looked like some sort of dictionary. "To really get into my character, I studied that book from beginning to end _three times_" Bobby said with great pride, "in the game; I said 'halt, outsiders...who are you, where did you come from?'"

While the explanation helped make Lori feel slightly less confused, she was still unsure of what to do. At first, she thought of using her magic to try and find a way to help them all speak the same language. But she quickly realized that, even for a game like _this_, it was asking too much.

In the end, she had no other choice but to hit the book. After looking through several pages for a minute or two, Lori came up with (hopefully) an appropriate greeting. "Um...Uh..._Le...Suilon, Mellon_" she murmured uneasily, _"le a...Vellyn?"_

After finishing her statement, Lori took a moment to clear her throat; feeling her vocal cords strain from pronouncing each word. For curiosity's sake, she then turned towards the Council and asked what it was she said to Bobby. "Because you asked dear; you said to the stranger 'I greet you, friend...you are among friends'" Mrs. Johnson explained, "but for the sake of the situation, we will make it so that you said 'allies.'"

Upon seeing that Lori was satisfied with the response, the Council decided to continue the game. "The figure gasps, when he hears you respond in the Elven tongue" Pop-Pop said in his Karuk voice, "this in turn, causes him to lower his guard...what do you do?" Upon hearing this question, the first to speak up was Lynn; who proclaimed that she would "bash the hooded creep senseless until he surrendered.'"

"Regretfully...as Game Masters, we _would_ grant you permission to perform such actions" Principal Huggins groaned softly, "_HOWEVER..._seeing as how you're not in the game yet, Miss Lynn; I'm afraid we'll have to disregard it." Lynn soon found herself fuming slightly, not just for her request being denied...but also for the fact she didn't get to play yet. "Lori, Lucy, Lola, Lana" Rita called out, "of the four of you, what do _you_ think you should do next?"

Upon not hearing her name being called; Lily went into "Wolf Mode" and started barking and yowling like her character, Lupa. "Oh, honey...I'm so sorry" Rita said sweetly, "I mean of the _five_ of you, what will you do next?" After that, the five Loud Sisters huddled together for a brief powwow.

At first, Lana and Lola were inclined to go through with Lynn's earlier suggestion. "His character is aiming an arrow right at us" said the wee pageant princess, "I say Bobby deserves a good smackdown, if he's planning on hurting any of us!" Naturally, Lori was completely against hurting her "Boo-Boo Bear" in any way; real or fictional.

"If he's lowering his guard; then, Bobby...or whatever his character is called, might not really be a threat" she explains, "on that note...I vote to try and learn if he's friend or foe." Not long after that, the three girls looked as though they were about to have one of their famous "fights." But then, they quickly thought back on the rules the Council enforced; do not let any personal issues (outside or inside the "castle") interfere with the game.

In other words, the three of them were forbidden from bickering in their usual way. So, in order to best decide who would make the next move; the trio agreed on a quick "Best of Three" game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. On the first round, Lola won with scissors; the second round was a three-way tie...due to everyone choosing rock.

But on the third round, Lori surprised everyone by remaining with rock; while Lana and Lola went with scissors. "It looks like Lori wins, girls" chuckled Pop-Pop, "so...Lori; would you like to role for Persuasion, which could help you convince this stranger to do something for you...or you can make an Insight Check, so that you can learn anything you need about them?" Upon being presented the choices, suddenly found herself...incredibly conflicted.

On one hand; if she rolled for Persuasion and got a high enough number, she could probably win her enemy over. But on the other hand, she was unaware of what the character was capable of. Thus, she was considering trying to learn what she could about him.

_"This is just like trying to choose between two cute sweaters at the mall" _she thought, _"especially ones that are on sale!"_ At that moment, Zach raised his hand and suggested that Lori could role for Intimidation. "I mean...if she rolled high enough, she could threaten this hooded figure like she would anyone else" he explained, "including Lincoln."

While the aforementioned Loud boy didn't quite like being used as an example in his friend's explanation, he couldn't help but agree. For a moment or two, Lori considered all three options; each one appearing promising in their own right. "Okay...after hearing your ideas, I've come to a decision" she said suddenly, "I choose to go with...Intimidation, show this guy I'm not one to mess with."

Soon after saying this, she inwardly confessed she also desired payback for the hooded stranger aiming an arrow at her a moment ago. "Very well, then" muttered Principal Huggins in his Fastred voice, "let us see if you make an affective roll." With that said, Lori took hold of the dice and began to shake it like mad.

Finally, she gave the dice a good toss and watched it bound across the table like a stone skipping across a lake. After a while, it finally stopped rolling and the Council suddenly cried "SIXTEEN!" At first, Lori thought this was a good sign; thinking she wouldn't be too severe towards Bobby with her intimidation tactics.

But then, at the same time; she wondered if she'd manage to spook him enough with such a roll. Finally, the Council looked over at Lori and asked what she planned on saying to the stranger. "Oh...right" she murmured, "I guess, I say in the 'Common Tongue'...'whoever you are; by raising your bow against us, you have become _our_ enemy!'"

Lori then added that if the stranger refused to lower his guard and let them speak their defense, she would have no choice but to retaliate. While the statement wasn't particularly threatening; with her sixteen roll, Rita (in her Eliana voice) revealed that she managed to get through to the stranger...just enough. "Upon hearing your words, the figure looks deep into your eyes and senses a burning fire within them" she said dramatically, "one that tells him you would make good on your threats."

(The Game World)

After a while; the stranger, his eyes never leaving the party, asked to know their names and their reasons for being in the forest. "I am Ventris, Apprentice Mage from the kingdom of Kelshara" she proclaimed, "my associates and I were simply passing through when we were suddenly ambushed by a rogue Owlbear." Upon hearing the she-elf's words, the stranger seemed to stare at her intently; as if doubting her.

Then, he drew back his hood and revealed a sight that took the party completely by surprise. Before them stood a male elf, who had features that were near identical to Ventris' own; from his pointed ears, long, honey-blonde hair to his flawless, youthful complexion. However, there were some small yet noticeable differences between them.

As an example; among the elven people, it is known that their kind possessed a variety of unique eye colors...from blue to violet and even green. But as she began observing this fellow, Ventris saw that _his _eyes were that of a deep brown; a color not quite common among elves. He also had a slightly thicker build, compared to her people's typical slim yet athletic physique.

Lastly, this fellow also had a small scruff of hair upon the tip of his chin (not a full-on goatee but part of one.) This trait was especially surprising, due to how the elven people seldom possessed facial hair of any kind. _"It...It's strange" _Ventris thought to herself, _"this fellow _looks _like a member of my people...but something within him feels different."_

As the young mage found herself becoming lost in her thoughts, she failed to notice the male bowing to her. "Greetings, fellow child of the wood" he stated, "I am Alexi Long-Strider, a ranger from the Elven kingdom of Lemerius." Upon hearing the name of the stranger's home, Ventris found herself scratching her chin in thought.

She had once heard her mentors tell stories about Lemerius, long ago. But according to _them, _the place was said to be a legend; someplace that was hidden so deep within the woods, few outsiders were able to find it. "What brings you so far from home, Master Alexi" questioned Ventris, appearing eager to learn more about him; "were you hunting down the Owlbear we spoke of?" With a heavy heart, the lad nodded in response; explaining how such beasts had been a scourge on his people for countless moons.

"We know not of where they came from or _why_ they've chosen to trouble us" Alexi stated, "but my people and I have been doing all we can to drive out their brood." Upon hearing this, Ezra's nature as a druid got the better of him and he suddenly began accusing Alexi's people of being cruel. "You think _we _are the cruel ones, feline" the ranger seethed, "perhaps you will think differently, once you've seen how my people have been living."

With that said, he gestured for everyone to follow him into the woods. But while Ventris was willing to do so, her companions felt otherwise. _"Can we really trust this fellow" _questioned Shadow telepathically, _"he could very well be leading us all into a trap, for all we know."_

The Tabaxi Twins voiced a similar complaint, while also reminding Ventris how close Alexi came to shooting them. "Were you not listening to him" asked the elf mage fiercely, "if his words are true, then that lone Owlbear we've battled with earlier could've been part of a much larger pack!" While everyone couldn't deny that such creatures _were_ a threat, the rest of the party still had their doubts.

"Be that as it may, how could such simple creatures endanger an entire kingdom" questioned Ursa, "especially for elves; who, from what I have heard, are said to be skilled in both combat _and _hunting?" For several moments, the foursome remained locked in their soft yet still rather passionate debate. Then, they heard the sound of a shrill whistle and turned to find Alexi; who was standing over in the bushes with his arms crossed.

"Follow me to my home; perhaps then, will see the truth" he ordered, "and be quick about it, there could be other beasties lurking about here." Upon being told this, little Lupa gave out a fearful whimper; as if begging her mistress to not let anything hurt her again. After taking a moment to calm her pup down, Ventris gestured for everyone to follow their "friend" to his home.

(The Real World)

Back at the board, Lori raised her hand up and asked how Alexi's people could possibly be in danger due to a few Owlbears. "It's like saying that Royal Woods could fall apart, if Lucy's bats got loose" she stated, "doesn't seem all that plausible." After taking a moment to remind her that the game's scenario was not to be taken literally, the Council then added that "nothing is what it seems."

"Sure, these creatures may be at the front of the issue" Rita said matter-of-factly, "_but..._they are rarely ever seen alone in the woods." Confused, some of the Loud Sisters questioned if these creatures ever acted like typical bears would; hunting for fish, climbing trees etc. "Some of them _do_" Lynn Sr. replied in his Acheron voice, "but _these_ weren't natural Owlbears."

From here, he explained how such creatures _could_ often be seen within woodlands like Mara-Kai. But many Owlbears were known to be solitary creatures; choosing to leave their dens either to hunt, mate or birth young. "Ah, I see" murmured Lisa, "so...are you suggesting that these particular creatures aren't acting on their own whim?"

There was a light murmur of confusion from the other players, mostly due to the sort of words Lisa used for her inquiry. But then, Pop-Pop politely interjected and decided to offer up an explanation. "I believe she's asking if someone _else_ could be controlling these critters" he stated, "in which case, I say...it's a strong possibility." With that question answered, the Council went back to describing the situation of their game.

"Oh, hold that thought" Bobby exclaimed suddenly, "if you don't mind, I'd like to have a sort of 'special guest' join in on our session; for the coming scene." While the request seemed a tad unorthodox, especially since the game was already in motion, the Council decided to grant Bobby's request...just this once.

With that; he reached into his travel bag, pulled out a laptop, placed it on an empty space beside the game board and pressed the "On" button. Once it booted up; Bobby then turned on the webcam and a familiar face suddenly appeared, his mother. "Hola, _everyone; thanks for agreeing to let me play with you" _greeted Mrs. Santiago, _"after doing so much hospital work, I've been looking for little fun."_

Everyone smiled at the young Latina nurse and greeted her accordingly, even the Loud Sisters; the latter of which Mrs. S was particularly surprised to see. When she asked about when they started playing, Bobby chuckled and said that it was only a day ago and that it was "a long story." "Okay...this is getting _very_ weird" Lori muttered, "first Bobby's a player and now, his _mom_...who else do I know is part of this craziness!?"

Not long after she said this, Lori's world shook from the sounds of a fierce ululating battle cry. Then, from out of one of the eastern side of the room; a figure burst through the doors. Though she was dressed in a suit of fake yet light body armor and wore a hooded cloak (much like Bobby,) Lori recognized the look in this stranger's eyes anywhere.

But in spite of that, she still found it too difficult to believe. After giving a few quick yet safe jabs with her pike at the area around her, this new player approached the board and greeted everyone with a bow. "Ah, Master Alexi; I see you have brought a guest with you" Principal Huggins said in his Fastred voice, "would she be so kind as to tell us her name?"

With a coy smile upon his face, Bobby confessed that it was "too early" to reveal such information; due to their current point within the game. "But I imagine a lot of you may know _this_ player already beyond these walls" he chuckled, "particularly our newest members." With that statement, the time had come for the figure to reveal herself.

She took hold of her hood, drew it back and revealed the face of one Ronnie Anne Santiago. To say that the Loud Sisters (especially Lori) were stunned by this would be the understatement of their collective lives. The biggest question was how Ronnie Anne got here to begin with.

"This may come as a shock to you, Lori" the young lady began, "but...yes, _I'm_ a D&D nerd too!" After that; she explained that she got into the game after two of her friends, Sid and Laird, talked her into a session with some kids at her school. "You have _got _to be kidding me" Lori cried out in disbelief, "has the whole world gone topsy-turvy on me and I didn't realize it?!"

Rather than be put off by her outbursts, Mrs. Santiago simply giggled in response to them. _"You sound just like Ronnie Anne did, when we tried to get her into our_ Telenovelas _here at home"_ she said ironically, _"and now look at her, she's been watching the newest one with us since April!"_ Feeling both shocked, amazed and confused at the same time by this news; Lori turned towards Ronnie Anne and asked for a second opinion.

"Guilty as charged" confessed the young Latina, "truth is, my experience with _Telenovelas_ helped me learn an important lesson...don't knock it, 'till you've tried it." Upon hearing this, Lori and her sisters felt an odd sense of déjà vu wash over them. "Um, excuse me" grumbled Mr. Grouse, "but we're on a bit of a quest here, best keep movin' along."

With that statement, the Council got back into character and continued on with the story. "You follow Alexi through the remainder of Mara-Kai" explained Lynn Sr. in his Acheron voice, "in time, you come upon a magnificent valley known as Aranel; which lies deep within the woods." After this; Lynn Sr. added that they, eventually come upon what Lisa would call a "charmingly rustic" forest settlement within the valley.

Before continuing, after that; the Council called for a quick timeout so that he could retrieve something. When he returned, the girls saw their father placing yet another model upon the game table. But unlike the Castle Greyhawk model, this one looked like a nature display.

This model seemed to contain an assortment of odd-looking mini trees, blue streaks that ran along the surface (which the girls realized were rivers) and painted waterfalls. On the back area of the model, there was a stone castle with several beautiful spires that seemed as tall as the trees beside it. But the most interesting feature was hidden within the trees themselves.

"Aw, that's totes adorable" gushed Leni, "look at all those cute little tree houses!" Everyone giggled heartily at the blonde teen's comments, thinking they were genuinely adorable. Then, after placing the model down; the Council began to explain everyone's current situation.

"This lil' place is known as Lemerius" Pop-Pop said in his normal voice, "it's the village where Alexi and his people live in." The Council then began to describe the housing, the environment and the people of this place with such unbelievable detail and gravitas; the girls couldn't help but feel awestruck. "Um...sorry if this literally sounds like a stupid question, everybody" Lori murmured hesitantly, "but does any of this seem familiar to my character, considering _she's _an elf too?"

Her mother nodded in reply; explaining that while they came from different parts of the world, the wood elf kingdoms did have _some_ similarities. "Elves of the woodlands are, as strange as it might sound to you, rather in tune with nature" she stated, "as such, they don't cut down that many trees to make their homes like humans would." When asked how all the tree houses were made, the old man answered with one simple phrase, "with the wood of fallen trees."

Surprisingly, Lori understood the explanation perfectly; what was even more shocking was when she started asking for more info on hers and Bobby's race. "Just as Pop-Pop said earlier, honey; Elves are strongly in tune with nature" Lynn Sr. explained, "this means they can literally 'feel' or sense when the land is being harmed." This bit of information caused quite a few heads among the Loud Sisters to tilt.

"Hold up, dude" murmured Luna, "are you sayin' that...if someone were to plow up their land with a construction shovel, they'd know about it?" Much to her surprise, every member of the Council nodded in reply; which made the young rocker feel a little spooked. _"It's a good thing these wood elf dudes ain't real" _she thought,_ "if they were and saw some people building a mall someplace, who knows what would happen."_

Just as the young rocker almost found herself lost in thought, the Council suddenly snapped their fingers; which caused her to jump slightly. Happy to see that Luna was paying attention again, they continued on with their overview of the wood elves. "This strong connection they have with nature is what gives them their strong magic" Mrs. Johnson said slyly, "if powerful enough...an elven mage could summon the very roots of the trees to defend them."

Upon hearing _this_ bit of info, Lori's mind was suddenly filled with ideas of using said roots to either ensnare or assault her enemies. To conclude their explanation, the Council also said that the Elven people rarely ever leave their homes. "The affairs of other races rarely ever concern their people, due to the Elves living such secluded lives" Rita stated, "but if anything happens that could threaten their society, like the strange blight you and your sisters have been sent out to investigate, some members of their people volunteer to venture out and try and stop it."

This explanation seemed to make sense with Lori, which also helped her understand why Bobby's character was so far from home. "Thanks for the info dump, everybody" she said gratefully, "what happens next, after we've reach the village?" Without delay, Principal Huggins assumed his role as Fastred and continued with the story.

(The Game World)

As Alexi led the party through his village, the party took a moment to observe the look of it. Almost immediately; they noticed that the houses appeared somewhat disheveled, the elves looked utterly terrified and half of their food stores were almost used up. But the most surprising sight was what was on the bark of some of the trees.

As Lupa found herself looking about her surroundings curiously, she saw something that caused her to yowl loudly. "What is it, little one" murmured Ventris curiously, "are you okay?" As if sensing the pup's distress, Ezra approached Lupa and used his magic to help translate her barks into common speech.

But the moment he did, everyone could only hear her say one thing; "LOOK AT THE TREE...LOOK AT THE TREE!" At first, Ventris presumed Lupa needed to relieve herself and was about to let her down to do so. But then, the pup took hold of her mistress' hood with her teeth and pulled it sharply; causing Ventris' head to move sideways.

A moment later, the she-elf finally saw what her companion was trying to tell her. On several of the trees, she and the rest of the party could see what looked like long markings carved deep into the bark. At first glance, it looked as though someone was attempting to chop these trees down.

But the patterns of the markings appeared far too sporadic for that, as if someone was simply striking madly against the tree trunks. With that in mind, it became clear that these were not weapons markings but claw marks etched into the bark. "This is quite distressing" muttered Ventris, "whatever scratched these trees weren't simply sharpening their claws...what happened here?"

Alexi let out a soft sigh and pointed his hand towards the edge of the village, where a structure could be seen in the distance. "That is where our queen rules over this place" he stated, "she will tell you of our plight, follow me." With that, Alexi led everyone up to the far side of the valley; where a magnificent castle stood.

From a distance, the structure was a magnificent sight to behold. But when the party got a closer look, it was even more awe-inspiring. It was a beautiful marble structure with beautiful spires, marble stonework and at first glance, it seemed to be carved out of the mountainside itself.

"Heavens" cried Ezra, "those towers seem to stretch so high, they might touch the clouds!" His sister, Ursa couldn't help but agree with him; while Shadow wished she could fly upward and see just how tall the towers truly were. In time, everyone made their way towards the front gates of the palace.

But then, they were suddenly halted by a pair of armored guards; both of whom appeared ready for a fight. "_DARO, EDLON_" shouted the right guard, "_man cerig hi, O van oduleg?!_" Just as it happened during their earlier meeting with Alexi, Shadow and the Tabaxi Twins were at a complete loss to what the guards were asking or demanding from them.

"These men are asking who we are and where we came from" Ventris explained, "do _they_ understand the common tongue as you do, Alexi?" The ranger nodded in reply but added that due to the consistent Owlbear attacks, his people have become rather paranoid and hostile towards outsiders. "Do not worry" he assured, "I will speak with the guard myself and ask them to grant us an audience with my family."

With that said, he approached the guards and began conversing softly with them in Elvish. At first, everyone presumed that their conversation could take hours to resolve. But much to their surprise; thirty seconds later, the guards suddenly parted away and opened the gates.

In spite of their overall confusion of the situation, everyone followed Alexi inside. Upon entering the hall, everyone (even Ventris) found themselves in awe of their surroundings. The ceiling was decorated with beautiful artwork, the floor was smooth and as white as the snow and as they walked along the carpeted walkway, the party could see pillars on both sides reaching up to the ceiling.

During the walk, the members of the court started sending odd looks towards the party; as if they were suspicious of them. _"It seems Alexi was right about his people being wary of outsiders" _Shadow murmured quietly, _"I hope he can convince them all otherwise."_ Ventris nodded in agreement, also expressing such hopes for their situation.

"Should things go sour however, be ready to fight" she whispered, "although...I may feel guilty, if I end up fighting my own people." As if sensing her mistress' fear, Lupa whimpered softly and nuzzled her head against her legs. Ventris smiled at her wolf pup, scooped her up into her arms and stroked Lupa's fur tenderly; while she walked.

In time, everyone found themselves in the presence of a most elegant maid. Her hair was as white as winter snow, she had a stunningly beautiful face and pointed ears. But her eyes were a radiant violet color, she had a physique as slim yet elegant as Ventris' own and was dressed in fine robes.

The aforementioned maid gazed intently at each of the four strangers and then, she directed her attention towards Alexi. "You were sent to hunt for any of the invading Owlbears, youngling" she scolded him firmly, "why have you returned with these outsiders in tow?!" Without hesitation, Alexi took a knee before the elven maid and bowed his head low.

"Apologies, Your Highness" he murmured, "I came upon these four during my hunt, one of them claims they were beset by the beasts." With that said, Alexi carefully brought Ventris forward and introduced her to his leader. "This is Arcaena Brightcloak" he said respectably, "queen of Lemerius and my mother."

Naturally, the party was taken aback by this reveal; particularly Ventris herself. Upon meeting him, everyone presumed that Alexi was a hunter and nothing more. But to learn that he was of noble blood was a most surprising development, indeed.

Eventually, Ventris got over her shock and respectfully knelt before the queen; whose stern eyes seemed to pierce deep into her soul.

(The Real World)

Back at the table; Lori could be found trembling slightly, while Mrs. Santiago was giving her the very look her character did within the game. Though she wasn't with them in person; even through a computer screen, the young woman's glare seemed intimidating.

"After hearing your son's testimony, Queen Arcaena; you see the Elf Mage kneeling before you" Mrs. Johnson said in character while addressing Mrs. Santiago, "what do you wish to do with her?" After taking a moment to let out a soft giggle like a giddy schoolgirl, Mrs. Santiago quickly put on her "game face" and stared over at Lori. "I look over the party and then, back at the young she-elf" she began, "then...I ask for proof that she met with the beasts and survived."

Upon hearing this, Lily suddenly starts barking like her wolf character; as if begging to make a move herself. It was then that Lori remembered when the Owlbear struck Lily/Lupa during their turn. With this in mind; she takes her baby sister into her arms, presents her before Mrs. Santiago and explains what happened to them.

"Because Mrs. Santiago is not here with us in person, I shall make her roll for her" Lynn Sr. decreed in his Acheron voice, "on _that _note, this is where we make an Insight Check." After tagging herself in, Rita as Eliana explained that Insight Check roll is used whenever players intend to try and learn the intentions of opposing forces or when searching for clues. "Such a role is good for players whose characters are Rangers, Druids or knowledge-based classes; like Mages" explained Lincoln, "best to keep that info in mind."

With that said, Rita took hold of the dice and shook it vigorously between her hands. When she finally gave it a toss, it rolled across the table for a few seconds until it came to a stop at the Loud Sisters' side of the board. Curious, Lana took a quick peek and soon called out the number twenty.

The moment she did, everyone (with the exception of the Loud Girls) suddenly broke out into mad cheers. "Would someone mind telling us why we're celebrating" Lynn Jr. grumbled, "and ease up on the cheers...you almost blew out my eardrums!" After everyone had calmed down; Clyde explained that Mrs. Santiago (with Mrs. Loud's assistance) had just rolled a "Nat 20."

"OM GOSH, GUYS; did you hear that" Leni squealed, "Mrs. S rolled a Nat 20...Just one question, what's that?" With this simple inquiry, the cheering ceased and everyone quickly went back to business. "If I remember right, a Nat 20 is considered a big deal in the game" Carol explained, "it's like if...if...if Lori got a perfect hole with every golf swing she makes!"

By using this example, everyone watched as every one of the Loud Sisters' faces suddenly glowed with surprise. "When you get a Nat 20, girls; it means whatever action you perform is done perfectly" Rita explained in her normal voice, "of course...this has a bad side to it." With that statement, the girls' expressions soured almost instantly; realizing that the situation felt too good to be true.

"If you're in battle and you get a Nat 20, you could slay your opponent in one hit" Lincoln said emphatically, "but...if your _opponent_ gets one, you could die." The Loud Sisters went pale, after this revealed and some of them made sure to make a note of this (most obviously, Lisa.) "So, what does Mrs. Santiago getting a Nat 20 mean for _me_" questioned Lori, "does she believe my story or not?"

Without missing a beat; her father explains that with her Insight Check, Queen Arcaena notices signs of injury on Lupa's body. "After taking the pup into her arms, the queen begins to heal Lupa says she is amazed how she was able to survive her encounter" Rita added, "what do you offer as a response?" After giving it much thought; Lori replies in saying that one of the Owlbears knocked her pup against a tree, after she tried to defend her.

"The guards applaud Lupa for being so fierce, despite her size" Pop-Pop said in his Karuk voice, "Queen Arcaena also comes to realize your story is true and apologizes for her earlier hostility." After this encounter, some introductions were made and both sides swiftly become friendlier with one another. "If I may, I'd like to ask the queen a question" Lola requested, "where did the bears come from and why are they invading _her _people, specifically?"

Even though it wasn't "technically" her turn yet, the Council still agreed to allow her question to be presented. "With a weary sigh, Queen Arcaena confesses that she doesn't know where the creatures came from" Principal Huggins said in his Fastred voice, "they first appeared last winter while a number of her rangers went off on a hunt." The four Loud Sisters who were playing shivered slightly, admitting to one another that the situation seemed rather creepy.

"I ask if any of those ranger guys can remember where they first spotted the critters" Lana said suddenly, "if they have any info, we can find their den and stop whoever's sending them to the village." After hearing this, everyone was left speechless; which made the young blonde toddler feel mildly concerned.

"That is a _great_ idea, sweetheart" Pop-Pop gushed with pride, "but let's hope you'll get the info you need." The Council nodded in agreement and prepared to continue on with the story scenario. "Another one of the rangers approaches you" Rita said in her Eliana voice, "it is a female elf and she looks incredibly worn out, as if she had been through a war."

From here, Rita explains how the ranger and her hunting party first came across a pack of Owlbears near the mountain range, during their hunt. "She tells you 'when they attacked, I noticed something odd about one of the beasts'" she stated, "'I can't quite explain it...but something in their eyes felt different." Upon mentioning this detail, Lana let out a loud chuckle and proceeded to chant "I TOLD YOU SO" in Bobby's face.

"These critters aren't bad guys" she decreed proudly, "somebody must be messing with them!" While she didn't quite appreciate the tone she was using on her boyfriend, Lori couldn't deny the facts that were presented. "If someone _is_ forcing these creatures to act against their nature, we should try and stop them" Lucy murmured, "thus, I approach the queen and offer that we go and investigate for ourselves."

After deliberating on the young Goth's idea, the Council decided to accept it. But as the story continued, Mrs. Johnson (as Agathe) says that Queen Arcaena doubted they would succeed. "She tells you that her people lost several strong elves to the beasts" she murmured sadly, "among them was her husband, a human named Salem Silverspear." Upon hearing that the queen's husband was human, Lori gasped; finally understanding why Bobby's character looked so different from hers.

_"His Alexi character must be only _half-elf_" _she thought to herself, _"wait...is that even a thing in this game?"_ With that thought in mind, she raised her hand and presented that very question to the Council. "You're right as rain, kiddo" Pop-Pop chuckled, "Elves don't usually marry within their own species, due to being immortal; so...they find love from other races."

After this, Rita explained that that Alexi's features (like his facial hair and physique) were all inherited from his father. "That explains a lot" Lori murmured, "but...what happened to Salem, exactly?" With a heavy heart, Bobby (as Alexi) explained that he managed to slay one of the Owlbears during his party's expedition.

"But his victory came at a heavy cost" he sniffled, "my father was only able to drive his knife into the beast's throat, after...after it tackled him to the ground." Bobby then went on to say that during the struggle, the Owlbear managed to deliver a few sloppy yet deadly slashes at Salem's body; leaving him severely wounded. "With his last breath and final ounces of strength, he was finally able to drive his knife into the beast's throat" Alexi said while choking back tears, "his sacrifice almost left our queen emotionally devastated."

Upon hearing this, Lori gasped loudly in horror while desperately trying to assure herself that this was all part of the game. At the same time, this statement left every other player as silent as the grave. Then, almost seven minutes later; Lucy (of all people) swallowed a nervous gulp and asked where he got such a ghoulish yet...stunningly dramatic backstory idea.

"Oh...that's a bit personal, Lil' Lady Loud" chuckled Bobby, "but if you really wanna know, it was my parents separation that inspired me...sorry if I spooked ya." Lucy shook her head lightly, smiled at the teen and said that his character's story truly moved her. After this; the Council, finally came back to their senses and asked if they could move the game along.

"Oh, yeah; sorry about that, guys" Bobby chuckled sheepishly, "I'm ready when you are." With that said, the Council members reassumed their characters and continued on with the game's story.

(The Game World)

After a brief period of silence, Ventris swiped away her tears and knelt before Queen Arcaena; expressing her deepest sympathies for her loss. Upon seeing the young mage behave so genuinely remorseful in her presence, the queen's earlier hostilities melted away and she smiled. "Your kindness is most appreciated, youngling" murmured the queen, "but as you may have noticed, losing my dear husband was the least of our kingdom's woes."

From here; she explained that due to the Owlbear attacks, her rangers have been unable to venture out into the woods and hunt or collect supplies for their healers. "We have already eaten through half our food stores, in the past three months alone" Arcaena sighed, "if this continues, my people will die!" The party gasped in alarm at this declaration, realizing that the elves' struggles were far worse than they earlier believed.

However, Ezra questioned how the elves could die due to a lack of food. "I was told that your kind were immortal, Your Ladyship" he said cautiously, "is this not true?" For a moment or two, Arcaena said nothing in reply; which led the rest of the party to believe that Ezra overstepped his boundaries.

Finally, Ventris brought him in close and did her best to explain things as softly as she could. "We elves _are_ immortal, Ezra" she whispered, "but only in the sense that we do not die from aging or disease." With this explanation, Ezra swiftly understood the meaning behind his friend's words.

While the elven people were immune to typical natural causes of death, they were not immune to the pains of starvation. "My people's spirits are almost completely broken" Alexi murmured sadly, "we cannot live like this any longer!" Ventris agreed with the young ranger and asked if there was anything that could be done.

"There is only one thing that _can_ be done, Outsider" said one of the guards, "return to the mountain range, find the creatures' den and stop them there!" Upon making this statement, several other warriors cheered loudly in agreement; some of whom openly volunteering to join him (if need be.) But then, Queen Arcaena slammed her scepter's base on the ground; causing everyone to fall silent.

"Out of the question" she exclaimed, "after losing our king and several other men months ago, I will not allow anymore of our people to die!" While everyone knew that their queen meant well, they couldn't help but question her ruling on the matter; even Alexi was at a loss. "Have you not been paying attention, Mother" he shouted, "we either find these beasts where they roost and finish them off or we die, either from starving to death...or worse!"

This resulted in mother and son becoming locked into a vicious argument over what to do. At first, the heroes considered trying to step in and help both sides calm down but Ventris advised against it. "The queen knows Alexi is speaking sensibly" she whispered, "but...she is still rather grief-stricken, both from her kingdom's state and the loss of her husband."

Ursa nodded slightly in agreement with her, adding that such circumstances would blind anyone from the truth. "Maybe so...but we must do something" Ezra grumbled, "this situation may be connected with our quest." Upon hearing these words, both Arcaena and her son ceased arguing and stared at the party intently.

"What did you say, Sirrah" questioned the queen, "what sort of 'quest' are you and your associates on and how could _our_ situation be connected with it?" Before answering, the party took a moment to softly speak amongst themselves; as if debating on whether or not to reveal why they were in Mara-Kai to begin with. "Just moments ago, one of them threatened to shoot us" Ursa whispered, "why should we let their affairs interfere with _ours?!_"

With a stoic look upon her face, Shadow squawked softly and informed her comrades that _both_ of their struggles possibly shared a common theme. _"I say we help them"_ she said firmly, _"if we succeed, they could become valuable allies in our quest._" Mere seconds later, Ventris also agreed to helping the elves of Lemerius.

"Regardless of what Alexi tried to do to us; if we leave them to die, it would make me ashamed to call myself an elf" the young apprentice mage proclaimed, "besides...Shadow may be right in saying that _both_ of our situations appear connected." With that in mind, she insisted that this was a matter worth looking into. The only ones who have yet to make a decision were the twins themselves.

(The Real World)

Back at the board, Lana and Lola were seen scratching their chins; as if deep in thought. While both of them had difficulty forgiving Bobby's earlier actions towards them in the forest, they couldn't deny the direness of the elves' situation any longer. "Okay...we've made our decision, everybody" Lola announced, "and that is...we agree to go and help!"

Everyone cheered loudly at this announcement, especially the Game Masters; two of whom (Mr. and Mrs. Loud) happy to see that they've come around. After that, Huggins assumed his Fastred guise and continued the story; which involved Alexi leading the team up to a tall mountain slope. "After half a day's trek through the forest, with a brief stop to refresh yourselves; you arrive at the mountainside" he explained, "upon your arrival, you look up and see the cave Alexi mentioned earlier."

Almost immediately, Lana was ready and raring to rush up the hill and confront the beasts. But then, the Council asked her to make a quick Insight Check roll; suggesting that there was an odd presence in the area, someplace. "Will do, guys" said the young grease monkey, "here's hoping I'll be as lucky as Lori was with _her_ roll."

With that said; she took the dice in her hands, shook them vigorously and sent them flying along the table. When they came to a stop; Bobby took a quick, smiled and shouted out the number "EIGHTEEN" for all to hear. Though she was still trying to understand the business with the number rolls, even Lana could tell getting an 18 was a good sign.

"You gaze up the hill from your position and, with the aid of your sharp eyesight, notice something within the cave" Huggins explained as Fastred, "though you cannot clearly see what lies inside the cave, your instincts seem to think that something...inhuman is at work here." With these simple words, the five Loud Sisters who were playing suddenly shivered with fear. But in spite of it, they knew the situation had only one known course of action; they had to go and investigate the cave.

But just as they were preparing to do so, the Council proclaimed that they were suddenly ambushed. "From all sides, Owlbears suddenly begin to surround you" Lynn exclaimed in his Acheron voice, "but unlike the lone rogue you all encountered before, each of _these _creatures has a demonic look in their eyes!" After "setting the stage," the Council and all the other players' eyes fell upon the five Loud Sisters; wondering what they planned on doing next.

(First AN: DUN, DUN, DUUUUN! Here we are, folks, the Loud Sisters' first true battle scenario within the game. Will they be able to overcome the Owlbear pack, what is the "demonic look in their eyes" Lynn Sr./Acheron spoke of...and when will Ronnie Anne's character make an appearance within the game's story?

Tune in next time for the next installment of D, D & D as the quest continues.)

(Second AN: Sorry for taking so long to upload this, folks. Not only did I have to do a _lot_ of research on Elves for this chapter, both for their language and the nature of their society. But all too recently, I came down with a tiny bit of a cold. Thus, it had left me feeling a little plugged up in the head and I wasn't able to think clearly.

But I appreciate your patience and hope you'll enjoy this part.)

(Third AN: The Ronnie Anne hating _Telenovelas _thing is a reference to the episode "No Show with the Casagrandes;" a Loud House episode from the Casagrandes arc. Speaking of which; I won't say when, I won't say _how..._but expect to see Sid pop up, somewhere down the line.)

(Fourth AN: Despite Alexi's father having a mention in this chapter; don't count on seeing Arturo Santiago, Ronnie Anne and Bobby's Dad, in this story anytime soon. I wanted the character's death to be lightly inspired by Bobby's parents splitting up IRL. I hope that all makes sense to you, guys.)

(Final AN: After several rounds with the girls getting...so-so dice rolls; I felt it was time for at least, _one_ of them to get a Nat 20. Furthermore, this was also a good point in the game where the girls would need to learn the pros and cons of said roll. Wonder who will get the next one...my money's on Lola or maybe Leni.)


	10. Chapter Eight: The Owlbears' Den

The Owlbears' Den

(The Game World)

As the party took their defensive positions, Shadow appeared to be lost in some sort of trance; which her compatriots considered to be rather ill-timed. "This is no time for a rest" Ventris hissed in a hushed yet irritated tone, "we are surrounded by vicious beasts and need to be on our guard!" Alas, her words met no reply; which left the young she-elf even more flustered.

Then, at that moment; Shadow let out a sudden squawking sound, alarming the others. _"These creatures...they're not acting on their own will" _she groaned, _"someone...or _something _else is manipulating them!"_ At the moment; not one member of the party doubted the sorceress' words, after seeing the odd looks in the creatures' eyes.

Those that belonged to the lone Owlbear they met before appeared black as pitch beneath their narrow slits. But the eyes of the pack that now surrounded them seemed to give off an eerie green glow. It was then that Ezra noticed the exact same light emanating from within the cave up the slope.

But before they could think anymore on it, the pack leader suddenly bellowed out a vicious screech; causing the others to charge forward. "Whatever...or _whoever _is inside may be the one controlling these beasties" Ezra stated, "so, try not to harm them too much." The moment her brother said this, Ursa gave him a disgruntled look that seemed to say "who's side are you on?!"

Meanwhile, Ventris understood Ezra's notion and began to think up another method to subdue the Owlbear pack. At the same time, however; it was difficult to do so _and_ defend herself from each of their swiping claws. As she was being driven backwards, Ventris looked down and spotted something in the grass; a collection of fallen pinecones.

(The Real World)

Back at the table, Lori had given the dice a toss and managed to gain a sixteen number roll. It is with this roll that her character was able to spot the aforementioned pinecones with a Perception Check. "What's so special about pinecones, Lori" Lola shrieked with both fear and annoyance in her voice, "what good could _they_ be against these monsters?!"

Rather than answer her little sister's question/demand, the eldest Loud Sister turned towards the Council and asked one of her own. "I know this idea is literally a long shot" she murmured, "but...could I use my magic to somehow, enchant these pinecones and attack the Owlbears with them?" Upon hearing her words, the Game Masters huddled up and began to deliberate.

Then, after almost half a minute of discussion; they broke away and smiled at Lori. "Okay...first of all, Lori/Ventris; I'm happy to see you finally getting into the swing of things" Rita said in her normal voice, "second of all, it all depends on what you want to do." At that moment, Lynn Sr. tagged in and explained that Lori _could _enchant the pinecones (if _that's_ what she wanted.)

"But there are so many ways you can do that" he said with nerdy glee, "you could use an earth magic based spell and have it grow into a living tree...or you could set each of the pinecones on fire and throw them at the Owlbears' faces or you could have one of them explode, sending its bits flying everywhere and hit one or more of the Owlbears in the face!" Within moments, everyone could see Mr. Loud going into full "geek mode" and politely asked him to calm down. Upon snapping out of his joyful tirade, Lynn chuckled sheepishly and offered the floor to Lori.

After taking a moment to collect herself due to her father's behavior, Lori considered each of his suggestions carefully. "They all sound really good" she murmured, "but out of all of them...I would have to go with Option Two; set the pinecones on fire." After making this choice, she picked up the dice and began to shake them vigorously; hoping to get a good roll.

Sadly; after tossing the dice, she was disappointed to see that she only got a thirteen. "Do not lose hope so easily, young she-elf" Pop-Pop said in his Game Master Karuk voice, "you still have your class perk, which offers you a slight bonus towards certain abilities your character possesses." With this bit of news in mind, Lori felt a small glimmer of hope well up inside of her.

But at the same time, she started to wonder if she was losing it. _"Look at me, I'm getting worked up over a game" _she thought with a light groan, _"I literally _am _starting to turn into them!"_ As Lori began to inwardly shame herself over how she was behaving, another part of her reminded her of other times she'd become invested in a game; golf being a prime example.

With this in mind; a part of her started to think that maybe, the D&D players' world wasn't quite that different from _hers_. But the moment this thought came into her head, Lori's pride intervened and she vigorously shook her head; desperate to clear away any unwanted ideas. _"You're thinking nonsense here, Lori" _she thought bitterly, _"the sooner you finish this...the sooner you can go back into the real world."_

With that, she picked up her character sheet and tried to find whatever sort of "pluses" her grandfather was talking about. After a while, she found it; just below her character's profile picture. "Okay...According to this, I seem to have a...plus 2 Intelligence Bonus" Lori murmured with uncertainty, "is that a good thing?"

Without pause; Huggins (in his Fastred voice) explained that Intelligence is often used during moments when your character is studying something from a book or a room, investigating an area for signs of danger/traps or in this case, performing magic. "In regards to the plus 2, that means you're given two extra points to your roll" Lincoln interjected, "which adds it all up too...fifteen." With all this in mind, Lori hoped that her character's attack would prove successful.

After taking note her roll; Mrs. Johnson explained that while the pinecone didn't explode, it _did _strike one of the Owlbears in the face. "The creature screeches in alarm, as the flaming object slams betwixt its eyes" she stated, "several sparks then lightly catch fire upon its eyebrows!" From here, she explained that the Owlbear leader starts running about the area in alarm.

"Alas...due to your roll, only _one _of them is hit by your pinecone attack" Rita added in her Eliana voice, "the others meanwhile, immediately dodge the rest of them and snarl at you in anger for attacking their leader." After this; little Lily proceeded to bark and growl eagerly like a wolf, which seemed to be _her_ way of "asking" to go next.

"Love the enthusiasm, sweetie...but no" Lori said firmly, "ain't no way I'm letting another one of those things literally toss you like a rag doll." Lily whimpered slightly in disappointment, sad that she wouldn't be allowed to play next. But somehow, she understood her big sister's reasoning and didn't let it upset her too much.

After this, Lola was given the next turn and presented the idea of distracting the other bears. "Could you be a bit more specific, luv" Chunk interjected from the sidelines, "how do you propose to distract the beastie?" Lola offered up a smile to the roadie and proclaimed that while she was still new to the game, she already knew a thing or two about trickery.

(The Game World)

As one of the other Owlbears charged toward her, Ursa simply remained where she stood; looking rather unafraid. _"That's it, beastie...come on" _she thought slyly, _"just a little closer."_ At another area of the battleground, Ezra was in the midst of fighting off another of the creatures.

When he caught sight of what was happening and let out a startled "mewing" sound. But before he could tell his sister to move aside; she held up her hand his way, quickly silencing him. _"Oh...Ursa" _Ezra murmured worriedly, _"whatever you are plotting, you're mad!"_

As he watched the beast approach ever closer to his sister, he saw her attach a small pellet to her wrist crossbow. Then, just as the Owlbear pounced, Ursa fired the pellet into its mouth. As the beastie proceeded to chomp down on the object in question, a cloud of smoke suddenly bellowed out of its mouth; alarming it.

_"That was a nice distraction, if I do say so myself" _Ursa mentally chuckled, _"now...time to mount up."_ With that thought in mind, she leapt atop of the confused Owlbear's back and grabbed hold of its plumage; startling it. The party watched, as the beast proceeded to try and shake the Tabaxi female off of him; wondering what she planned to do next.

Then, with all the strength she could muster; she managed to divert the Owlbear towards the one standing before Ventris. "Best take a few steps back, She-Elf" Ursa shouted, "lest you wish to be caught in the crossfire!" After giving a slight nod; Ventris, with the aid of her staff, levitated slightly upwards.

Not long after doing so, Ursa rode in and slammed the two Owlbears into each other. "Excellent work, everyone" said the Tabaxi rogue, "but I don't know how much longer we can keep this up." Her compatriots couldn't help but agree; it seemed as though that the creatures wouldn't stay down, no matter what they did.

With this in mind, their only option was to flee; which meant they would have to head towards the cave. _"Are you mad"_ questioned Shadow mentally while emitting an outward shriek, _"if we go there, we will be at the mercy of who knows how many more of these creatures!"_ Just as he was about to make an argument with the Kenku; Ezra shrieked loudly, as one of the Owlbears suddenly swiped its claws across his back.

As the young druid fell over in pain, he clutched his hand at his side; trying to use a smidgen of his magic to heal his wound. Unfortunately, this process would take a moment or two to do properly; which left him exposed to another possible attack. As the Owlbear hunched itself into attack position, its ears suddenly started twitching due to the sound of leaves fluttering.

The beast looked over its shoulder and spotted a mysterious rustling in the bush, which was something Ezra also notice; in spite of his pain. _"Oh...hang it all" _groaned the young druid, _"just what we needed, _another _opponent to fight!" _With all the strength he could muster, Ezra tried to ease himself into attack position and was prepared to do battle with the stranger.

But then, he saw them leap effortlessly upon the back of the Owlbear; where the figure proceeded to strike its head with a war mace. The blow, while not very damaging, did do its part in knocking out the beast. With that done, the figure proceeded to help Ezra with his wound.

"Quickly, use these along with your healing power" they said while handing over a small pouch, "the herbs inside will help stop the wound from festering." While he was still quite suspicious of this stranger; due to the current situation they were in, Ezra had little time to argue. Thus, he rubbed the herbs onto his wound and began to chant a healing mantra.

Within seconds, it began to heal instantly and all the pain seemed to wash away. "Thank you for the assist, stranger" Ezra purred gratefully, "whoever you are." While trying not to be rude, the figure told him to "repay her" by helping lead the others into the cave.

"Are you mad" cried the young Tabaxi male, "that is the creatures' den; if we go in, we'll be at their mercy!" Rather than argue with him, the stranger shook her head and proclaimed that the Owlbears were "not what they seemed." Upon hearing the stranger speak, Alexi let out a soft gasp of surprise; believing that it sounded rather...familiar to him.

But he had little time to think about it further, as the other Owlbears slowly started to regroup. "GET IN THE CAVE, NOW" shouted the hooded figure, "OR BY THE GOLDEN BOW OF CORELLON, I WILL LEAVE YOU ALL HERE TO DIE!" Not needing to be told twice, the group hurried up the slope and into the cave.

But before she went in with them, Ventris decided to try and slow down the Owlbears from following them; albeit for a brief period.

(The Real World)

Back at the table, Lori could be seen looking through her character sheet intently; as if searching for something. "You have a plan, Lori" questioned Lucy, "if so, I hope it will work." After looking over her list of spells, let out a soft gasp of surprise and raised her hand; catching the Game Masters' attention.

"Yes, Madam" inquired Principal Huggins in his Fastred voice, "you have a question about something?" Lori nodded slightly and questioned the nature of a spell in her list of abilities. "It's something called...'Transmute Rock' or something" she murmured, "what does that mean, exactly and can it help me here?"

After taking a moment to look up the spell in question, Lynn Sr. explained that it would allow her to turn the rocky terrain of the slope into mud. "In that case, I wish to go with _that_ spell" Lori announced, "it'll keep those creepwads from trying to chase after us." There was a light murmur of approval from the other players surrounding her, all of whom thinking it was a clever move.

"On that note, I'd like to bring up a little something" Rita interjected, "there _is _a chance for _one _or two of them to pursue you still...if their Strength saving throw proves successful." The moment the sisters heard their mother's statement; they suddenly felt a little dizzy, proclaiming that the information made their collective brains hurt (with the exception of Lisa.) "Okay, first thing's first" Lincoln chuckled, "Lori's gotta perform her spell before the Saving Throw can be done."

With that said, Lori took hold of the dice and began to shake them; while also blowing onto them for "luck." After a while, she gave a good throw and the dice went rolling across the table; startling several other players. "Uh...he-he, sorry about that" giggled Lori, "guess I literally don't know my own strength."

Everyone smiled slightly at her and assured her it's happened once or twice before. Then, Chunk took a look at the dice for himself and smiled. "Bangers, luv" he said with glee, "you got yourself an eighteen and with your plus two Intelligence Bonus, that adds up to...20!"

Upon hearing this reveal, Lori couldn't help herself and started squealing with delight. But after a while, she quickly realized her behavior and calmed down mere seconds later. Back with the Council, Mrs. Johnson began to make the saving throw for the Owlbears. After giving _her _dice a quick yet gentle roll, she then called out the number two.

"After the mountain slope turns to mush, thanks to Ventris' Transmutation Spell; one of the Owlbears attempts to climb up after you" explained Lynn Sr. in his Acheron voice, "but try as he might...the mud proves too deep for the creature to gain proper footing." Lori's group cheered loudly with joy at this reveal and congratulated Lori on her roll. But before they could go any further, everyone asked to know the identity of the hooded stranger.

"This mysterious warrior overhears your murmuring and presents themselves before you" Rita said in her Eliana voice, "she appears happy that you are all unharmed." After this, Bobby announced he wished to approach the stranger; adding that he might actually "know her." "How can you tell the warrior's a girl, Bobby" questioned Lola, "isn't their face covered?"

The young Santiago teen looked towards her, smiled slightly and reminded her that while her hood may be up; it didn't cover up certain specific things...like the figure's eyes. "There is no point in concealing your face from me" Bobby said in his Alexi voice, "why not show yourself to our friends...Sister?" Upon hearing her "cue;" Ronnie Anne let out a hearty chuckle, placed her character's figurine upon the board and drew back her hood.

"A new player has joined the board" announced Lynn Sr. in his Acheron voice, "please; do share your tale with us, milady." Now, Ronnie Anne already made her point about giving new things a shot. But still, they wondered if she'd actually willingly give role-playing a try?

_"There's no way she's actually gonna do it" _Lynn Jr. thought, _"if she does, then...I'll eat my sneaker!"_ Back at the table; Ronnie Anne rose from her seat, turned towards Lori's group and cleared her throat. Then, when she spoke again; Ronnie Anne addressed herself as Aayla Silverspear, only child of late Salem Silverspear and Alexi's half-sister.

This intro surprised everyone...but what was truly amazing was how she managed to change her voice to sound like a mix of her mother and grandmother's accents. Upon hearing _and_ seeing all this for herself; Lynn proceeded to stand up from her seat, remove her left sneaker and stick it into her mouth. "Wow, Ronnie Anne; I'm...literally impressed" gasped Lori in slight awe, "but wait, did you say you're his _half_ sister?"

The young Latina nodded her head and resumed telling more of her character's backstory. "My father would explore the farthest reaches of the land, seeking out dangers to ward off or game to collect for supplies" Ronnie Anne explained, "this is how he crossed paths with Queen Arcaena, long ago." While the story, so far was a bit to take in; the girls still felt relatively intrigued by their friend's character.

"My father's skills with a bow and his tracking abilities impressed the elves of Lemerius" Ronnie Anne stated, "the Queen among them." As she prepared to continue; Ronnie Anne willed herself to change her expression from pleasant to sullen, as if something saddened her. "In the time Arcaena and my father started bonding, he shared with her a most tragic secret" she murmured, "the day I lost my birth mother."

The moment this particular bombshell was dropped, the Loud Sisters felt an icy chill of dread run through their collective spines. Soon, Ronnie Anne began to regale everyone with a tale of how Salem Silverspear and his wife went on a hunt together. "The two of them were a wonderful team" she sighed, "my father's tracking skills would find the perfect path to their quarry, while my mother's ferocious spirit would startle the beasties from out their dens."

Upon mentioning this, Ronnie Anne bellowed out a fierce battle cry; one that combined a mixture of ululating and trilling her tongue. Needless to say, this sort of sound _really _got everyone's attention; including the Louds'. But then came the moment where things swiftly became...unsavory.

"Then, during one of my parents' hunting trips; tragedy struck" Ronnie Anne announced, "a fierce pack of Saber-Fang wolves appeared from out of nowhere and surrounded them." Naturally, the mere mentioning of a wolf pack attack was scary enough. But the moment Ronnie Anne addressed them as "Saber Fangs," the Loud Sisters felt even more terrified.

"Uh...I'm sorry, everybody; if this sounds like a dumb question" murmured Lana uneasily, "but...what are Saber-Fang Wolves exactly?" Much to both her surprise _and_ relief; the Council welcomed Lana's inquiry, brought up a book labeled "D&D Bestiary" and began flipping through the pages. When they found what they wanted, Mr. and Mrs. Loud turned the book towards their daughters and showed them the image inside.

It was a wolf but to the eyes of both Lana and Lisa, it looked far bigger and more menacing than a normal one; about half the size of Vanzilla. "You girls' have heard of Saber-Toothed Tigers, yes" asked Principal Huggins, causing Lana to nod; "well, these wolves are sort of like that...but _they _are slightly bigger and nastier by comparison." Not long after this was said, everyone began to put the pieces together on what happened to Salem and his wife.

Needless to say, the mental images they envisioned were _not _pleasant. _"I know this is all a game and all this stuff's just in our heads" _Lucy thought, _"but it all makes even _me _shiver, regardless." _After taking a moment to shake the unpleasantly dark thoughts from her head, the young Goth urged for Ronnie Anne to proceed.

(The Game World)

For what felt like ages, the party of heroes stood silent; trying their best to process what they've been told. Then, after letting out a soft outward squawk; Shadow asked Aayla what became of her mother during the Saber-Fang attack. "As they started to surround us, we began to fear the worst" she murmured sadly, "then...my mother looked me in the eyes, kissed my cheek and told us to run."

Soon, everyone could see poor Aayla's fists quivering at her sides; as tears started to well up in her eyes. She tried her best to continue her tale, in spite of her emotions. But the only sounds that passed though Aayla's lips were strained groans and stifled sobs. Not wishing to appear "weak" in the group's eyes, she squeezed her eyelids shut and turned away from them.

But then, almost a split second later; she suddenly felt a pair of arms coil around her shoulders in a tender yet loving embrace. Aayla looked over her shoulder and saw Alexi standing behind her, a look of sorrow plastered upon his face. As if sensing her distress, he offered to finish his sister's tale for her.

"Master Salem and Aayla did as they were told and ran as fast as they could" he explained, "meanwhile, her mother remained behind; choosing to help keep the Saber-Fangs' full attention solely upon herself." The moment this was brought up, something within Ventris' mind flashed; as if the grim image of the battle's aftermath suddenly appeared to her in a vision.

Due to the Saber-Fang's size, they would prove too difficult for one hunter to take down on their own; lest they were strong of body or of skill. But it didn't matter to Aayla's mother, all she needed was to keep the creatures from following after her family. With all this in mind, the young elf mage could only think of one thing to say; "how old were you when it happened?"

While such an inquiry felt rather sudden, Aayla fully understood Ventris' reasoning behind it and sighed. "I was no older than eight years old, when it happened" she murmured sadly, "after such tragedy, I vowed to never loose another loved one again." After this decree, Aayla's demeanor swiftly calmed down slightly and her tale took a sudden yet moderately positive turn.

She spoke of the day she and her father came to Lemerius, met with the Queen's people and about how close she and her father became. "In time, the two decided to join together in marriage" Aayla murmured, "and in the years that followed, Alexi came into the world" Upon hearing this part of her tale, the party almost fell over themselves in shock.

"How can _you _be the elder sibling, milady" questioned Ursa, "Alexi appears taller and more mature-looking in appearance than you." Upon hearing this, the young ranger laughed heartily at her words and helped Ursa back onto her feet. "I confess, such circumstances even leave _me_ surprised" Alexi chuckled, "but...while I may _appear_ older, it is only the result of what you humans would call a 'growth spurt.'"

From here, Alexi explained that he was relatively sixteen years of age; in terms of _human _years. With all this information, the party slowly began to fully understand their two compatriots. "You already know the rest of the tale, thanks to the queen" Aayla stated, "but as for why I am here; the answer is simple, I am _not_ letting my brother venture off into mortal danger on his own!"

Alexi groaned in annoyance at his sister's words, insisting that he was capable of handling himself against the Owlbears. "Perhaps under normal circumstances, you are" Aayla said bluntly, "but as you saw before...these do not seem to be any ordinary bears." Alexi couldn't deny the truth in his kin's words; however, he still felt skeptical about having her come along with them.

"We may need all the help we can get, mate" Ezra said bluntly, "and she seems to be the only one of your people who actually _wants _to assist us...even if she _is _only half-elven blood." After choosing to ignore the druid's rather backhanded compliment, everyone steadied themselves and continued on into the cave. With the aid of a spark of light from Ventris' mage staff, their journey in went rather smoothly.

"It's too quiet in here" murmured Ursa, "at this point, we should've run into a trap or another one of those beasts." Upon hearing her words, Shadow let out a soft yet bothered squawk her way; as if to tell her not to risk tempting fate. Then, at that moment; they could see the odd green light pulsating at the end of the path.

_"There is great evil in this place" _murmured the Kenku sorcerer, _"I can feel it from my talons to the tip of my beak." _Ventris couldn't help but agree with her; whatever resided in this cave, it was making even her elven senses flare tensely. Then, all of a sudden; Ursa tripped over something on the path and stumbled over.

Upon recovering, seconds later; she was met with a most horrific sight. All along the path ahead, the party could see all manner of bones scattered about. It was then that everyone realized their earlier assumptions were correct, this cave truly _was_ the Owlbears' den.

(The Real World)

Back at the board; poor Lori and Lola were scared out of their wits, when the Council brought up about the bone piles. "I feel like we're literally in some kinda horror movie cliché" Lori grumbled, "which means it's only a matter of time before someone...or something starts picking us off one by one!" While Lola was in full agreement with her sister; Lana and Lucy, in the meantime appeared cool as cucumbers.

"Bones and creepy caves are my go-to ideas for relaxing atmosphere" the young Goth murmured, "but something feels a bit off here." The moment she said this, every other player at the table faced her; apparently eager to hear what she had to say. "I mean...if all the bones are Owlbear ones, how does that explain the ones we just fought" pondered Lucy, "unless...unless the others weren't real at all!"

While the other three members of her team thought Lucy was crazy; the Council, on the other hand thought she may be on to something. "If what you suggest is true, honey; we recommend making a Perception Check" Rita stated, "that will help you detect anything odd around you." After hearing this, Lola exclaimed that a cave filled with bones was odd enough already...but Lucy chose to ignore her.

After giving the dice a good shake, she threw it across the table and was elated to hear that she gained a "Nat 20." Meanwhile, Lori and Lola crossed their arms bitterly and proclaimed that it was "nothing but a lucky roll." "With the aid of your magic, Shadow; you discover that these bones have been within the cave for many years" Huggins explained in his Fastred voice, "you also sense an odd aura surrounding them."

Upon hearing mention of an "odd aura" surrounding the bones, Lucy had a good idea of what was happening; someone may be resurrecting the dead Owlbears within this cave and sending them out into the forest. _"My Goth side can't help but find this form of sorcery impressive" _Lucy thought mentally, _"but the other half, my more 'normal' half, thinks it's wrong to disrespect the dead this way." _After shaking that thought out of her head, she brought up her theory to the others and the Council all murmured with approval.

"That feels like a sound theory, sweetie" Pop-Pop said with a bright grin, "but the only way to find out if you're right is to go deeper into the cave." The moment this was suggested, Lola immediately sounded off her disapproval; proclaiming how she "knew" the bones would soon rise up and attack them. "Don't fret, young one" Bobby said in a bold voice, "I shall protect you."

While she still refused to let go of her biases towards the game, Lori couldn't deny how much she loved seeing Bobby be so deep into character. To her, it made him even more attractive; if that was possible. "I'll take the lead point, everyone" Bobby offered, "you all follow close behind me and watch each other's backs."

The girls each murmured softly in both gratitude and agreement, picked up their figurines and slowly moved them down the cave path on the board. By the time they've reached the midway point, Lynn assumed his Acheron role and called for their attention. "After much traveling, you come upon a dark cavern" he explained, "the pungent aroma of the damp atmosphere soon fills your collective sinuses."

While Lori and Lola both gagged bitterly from their father's description of the environment; Lucy and Lana, on the other hand, felt overjoyed by it. "As you enter the cavern, all seems eerily quiet" Mrs. Johnson whispered dramatically, "Lori, I'd like for you to make a quick Perception Check roll for us." At first, the eldest Loud Sister felt confused by such a request.

But after hearing Mrs. Johnson's description of their current scenario, she realized things were far too quiet. "After living with ten often crazy siblings all my life, there's no way a situation like _this_ could be so calm" she said matter-of-factly, "time to see what secrets this place has." With that said, she took hold of the dice and gave a quick roll; only to be met with an "8" as the result.

With this in mind; Principal Huggins regretfully announced that despite her best efforts, she couldn't clearly see if anyone was around in the area. "However...you _do_ catch glimpses of the odd green glow you noticed before" he informed, "albeit faintly." Despite feeling discouraged from her roll, this announcement helped give Lori some reassurance.

"Guess there's literally only one thing we can do" she sighed, "forward march, everybody!" With that said, the other three members of her team moved their figurines along the image of the cavern on the game board. While they do this, their mother announces that they soon hear faint sounds of chanting echoing on the cave walls.

"Creepy cave, smelly odors, weird chanting" Lola shrieked, "things are sounding worse and worse by the minute for us!" While she didn't use her exact words, Lori couldn't help but agree with her sister. "_PLEASE..._Tell us the bad guy is somewhere close" groaned Lori, "the sooner we take him out, the sooner we can all leave!"

The Council smiled softly at the girls and said that the enemy was at the heart of the cavern, which was only a stone's throw away. The moment she heard this phrase, Leni questioned just how far a "stone's throw" was. "Father means to say that our sisters' quarry is not too far apart from their location" Lisa murmured dryly, "do try and keep up, Sister."

(The Game World)

After surviving their first Owlbear ambush, crossing paths with the elves of Lemerius moments after and surviving a second ambush outside of the cave; the party feared what might happen next. But in spite of all this, they still forged on; vowing not to turn back until the enemy is defeated. "Be on your guard, everyone" whispered Ventris, "we don't know what...or _who _else might be here."

Everyone nodded in unison, drew out their weapons or claws and continued walking further into the cavern. In time; the odd green light slowly became much brighter and, though spoken with a relatively soft voice, sounded much clearer. "My friends...I cannot fully explain why" muttered Alexi, "but the language of the chanting sounds rather familiar to me."

While doing their best to keep their collective voices low, the others were surprised by this revelation. But before any of them could question Alexi on his words, the green light suddenly burst in a great flash from somewhere nearby. Then, from high above their heads; a pack of glowing green bats suddenly flew overhead and bellowed out a cacophony of horrid screeches.

These noises were then echoed all about the cavern, creating a rather painful noise. This was immensely painful to the ears of the two Elven and Tabaxi members of the party. Meanwhile, Shadow and Aayla appeared relatively unfazed by it all; thanks in part to their not quite so sensitive hearing.

This granted the two of them the chance to help defend their friends, while they were momentarily incapacitated. Thinking quickly; Aayla drew out her sling, picked up a collection of rocks and threw them at two of the bats overhead. The attack struck the creatures successfully, causing them to disappear into puffs of green mist.

"They are not real" cried the young manling, "they're some sort of beastly illusion, conjured by whoever is performing the chanting!" Upon hearing this, Alexi rose to his feet and drew out his bow. After letting one of his arrows fly and strike another of the bats, he also saw it disappear instantly. "This is dark magic here" said the young ranger, "keep moving, everyone; these are only distractions!"

With this command, everyone gathered as much courage that they had and rushed forward. As they did so, the remaining glowing bats also charged _them_; poised to sink their fangs into any part of their faces. But as they drew closer; Lupa growled at the bats, leapt off her mistress' shoulder and swiped at them with her forepaws.

This caused them to burst into puffs of mist, just like what happened to the others. With this minor yet rather bothersome distraction dealt with, the party hurried off into the distance; following the still pulsating green light ahead of them. In time, they came upon the heart of the cavern; which was a rather vast and bleak looking place.

Then, Ezra gestured up towards a long rock formation that resembled a sort of platform. There, they saw what looked like a shadowed figure standing there; performing a series of odd body spasms. "_That_ must be the fiend behind all of this" growled Aayla, "time to bring him down!"

Before anyone could tell her to stop, Aayla was already making a beeline up towards the platform. While Ventris and Co. were mildly bothered by this, Alexi couldn't help but worry. _"__Rhaich!__"_ he muttered in his Elvish tongue, "I won't let her throw her life away so recklessly!"

With this in mind, he took off after his sister with his weapon armed and ready. Ironically, Ventris and her compatriots soon felt the same twinge of worry Ezra did mere seconds ago and immediately followed after him. In time, they've all reached the platform; where they could fully see the figure they spotted earlier.

(The Real World)

At the board; Lori decided to make a quick Perception Check roll, hoping to get a clear idea on who exactly they were dealing with. _"Alright, you; I literally don't like you and you don't like _me _either" _Lori thought bitterly while shaking the dice, _"but..._PLEASE,_ give me a decent roll here!"_ After this plea was made and after she blew on the dice for luck, Lori sent them flying.

When the dice eventually stopped rolling, everyone looked down at the number and cheered. "ALRIGHT, LORI; TWENTY-FOUR" cheered Bobby, "that's your highest roll yet!" Upon hearing this news, Lori suddenly felt a little proud of herself; much to her surprise.

Once everyone had calmed down, the Council of Game Masters proceeded to describe the next scenario. "With the aid of your keen elf eyes, Lady Ventris; you get a clear view of the figure ahead" explained Lynn Sr. while in character, "despite his clothing being black as pitch, his snow-white locks and pointed ears are clearly visible to you." Upon hearing that the figure had pointed ears, Lori presumed that it was one of her character's people and smiled.

"Maybe he can help us deal with the Owlbear crisis" she suggested, "that is, after I've talked with him." This suggested course of action caused all the other players to gasp in alarm, while the Council looked at each other and at _her _warily. This behavior did not go unnoticed by Lori and she immediately asked what she did "wrong."

"It's not that, sweetie" Pop-Pop murmured, "it's just...well, this guy may _look _like a member of your character's race...but he isn't." At that moment, a young man appeared beside the elderly Game Master, startling him. "Game Master Karuk speaks the truth, Elfling" said this mysterious player, "despite some minor similarities, my kind are far different than yours."

Mere moments after she heard him speak; Lucy gasped in surprise and turned towards the player, eager to learn who he was. But once she faced him, the young Goth child suddenly froze stiff and her usual pale face started to blaze red. The player's painted black complexion, snow-white locks and attire were appealing enough; in her mind.

But once she got a good look at the young man's eyes, her heart started pounding like mad. _"It...I-It can't be" _she thought in disbelief, _"of all people, I never thought _he _would be playing this game."_ Meanwhile, as if sensing her ever-growing surprise; the young player smiled softly and approached Lucy.

"_Al tha, Kenku_" he murmured in a foreign tongue, "I am called Lokon Snowmane of the Drow." Upon hearing the boy's voice, something clicked in Lucy's head. Even with the odd lingo he used earlier, he still sounded rather...familiar.

Then, after taking one more look into his eyes; Lucy's heart came close to bursting with shock. _"What the...Silas" _she gasped softly, _"so, I truly wasn't imagining things." _After this realization, both of the young Goths appeared locked in each other's gaze; something the rest of Lucy's siblings couldn't help but find heartwarming.

But, as tragic as it was; their touching moment had to come to an end and the Council quickly called for their attention. "Not to seem rude here, younglings" Mrs. Johnson said in her Agathe voice, "but we must continue with the quest at hand." With that said; Silas, while acting out as Lokon, bid Lucy farewell and offered up a quick apology.

"You have no need to apologize to me, Silas" said the young Goth with a smile, "if you enjoy this game...I'm okay with that." While it _did _both surprise and please everyone to see how accepting Lucy was being towards her crush's interests, Lynn Sr. decided to drop a rather serious bombshell regarding his character. "I...hate to do this to you, sweetie" he murmured hesitantly, "but I'm sorry to say that Silas is the enemy here."

To say that Lucy was surprised by this news would be a gross understatement. Truth be told, a small part of her felt hurt; thinking that she may have to fight one of her deepest crushes. "Forgive me if I sound stupid for asking this" she murmured, "but...why are we enemies?"

Much to everyone's surprise, Silas chose to provide an answer for her. "It is nothing personal, my angel of the night" he said with a light smile, "I'm afraid...it is in the nature of all Drow Elves." From here; he explained that the Drow...or Dark Elves were often referred to as "neutral evil" within the world of fantasy.

"Drow are known for being devious, scrupulous and would do anything to help them gain glory or power" Principal Huggins stated, "which leads me to question why a young man would choose to play such a character." Without missing a beat, Silas reminded everyone that he always enjoyed creatures of darkness. "Make no mistake, however" he said bluntly, "I take no pleasure in expressing my character's villainous whims."

In that moment; Lucy didn't know whether to be nervous, determined, smitten or some odd combination of the three. Regardless; she shook herself out of her daze, turned towards Silas and smiled slightly. "I understand and respect your character choice, my fellow Night Crawler" she murmured, "but make no mistake...my sisters and I will _not_ be going easy on you!"

Silas raised an eyebrow at her, as if feeling pleased by the challenge and spoke something in the Drow Elf tongue; which Mr. Loud translated as "have at thee, fellow spell-weaver!" With that, both sides readied themselves for the battle to come. But before they continued, Lori stepped forth and asked why a Goth kid would be interested in playing a game like this.

"I mean no disrespect in saying this" she said matter-of-factly, "but I thought you guys would think this game is literally only for geeks and 'conformists.'" Much to everyone's surprise, especially Lucy's; Silas threw back his head and let out a hearty chuckle. "You are right...we Goths often _do_ stand against the status quo" he stated, "as such, we do not choose to live in fear of feeling ostracized for the things we love; including this game."

To continue; Silas proclaimed that Haiku, a fellow Goth, was the first to introduce the game to him and his colleagues. At first, they felt they were "losing her to the enemy" but Haiku assured them otherwise. "You were wise to listen to her" said Lincoln as he rose from his chair, "last summer, she showed my friends and I there was another side to her at the Renaissance Faire; one that we all thought was really cool."

Upon hearing this; Lincoln's group of guy friends, some of his female classmates and even students from Lori and Lynn Junior's schools started siding with him. With all this happening; the Loud Sisters, once again started wondering how "crazy" the world was becoming. But they had little time to think on this, as the Council quickly brought them all back to the game.

"You find yourselves face-to-face with a lone Drow Elf" explained Rita in her Eliana voice, "you also notice something familiar about the glow his magic gives off." After taking hold of the dice, Lucy was asked to make a quick Insight Check. Once she made her roll, the wee Goth was pleased to receive a 17; not a perfect result but still quite high.

"Using your foresight, you learn that the magic this elf is using is near identical to the glow you saw emanating from the Owlbears' eyes mere moments ago" Lynn Sr. explained in his Acheron voice, "but alas, it proves too strong for your mind to handle and you immediately retreat back towards your friends." If Lucy wasn't feeling nervous about things before, she certainly was now.

(The Game World)

For a moment or so, Shadow was desperately trying to ease the pain throbbing in her head. Whoever this Drow Elf was, he was certainly quite powerful. "Who are you, what are you doing in this place" demanded Ventris with her staff at the ready, "are _you_ behind all the attacks on Lemerius?"

In spite of himself, Ezra threw back his head and let out a sarcastic "HA" in response to the idea. "How could one spell-caster muster up an army of beasts" he asked, "he's not _that_ powerful...right?" With a broad smile upon his face, the Drow Elf raised up his glowing hand; which caused the glow from behind him to flare profusely.

"I am called Lokon Snowmane, master warlock of the Drow" he decreed, "and as for my pets...behold!" As the dark elf took a few steps back, the party was met with a disturbing sight. Before them was what looked like the skeletal remains of an Owlbear surrounded by some sort of odd green aura.

"As you can see, the creatures you were battling were nothing more than illusions" Lokon said smugly, "lifelike creations born from both my magic and...what remains of these creatures' collective essence." After taking his words to heart, the party was amazed how illusions were capable of inflicting pain upon them and the elves of Lemerius. At the same time, they were horrified that he would defile the dead in such a manner.

"You're clearly impressed by my abilities, strangers" chuckled Lokon, "do not deny it...it's written on each of your faces." Flustered by the elf's behavior, Ursa crouched down and lunged herself towards him; only to find herself ensnared by Lokon's powers. With a coy smile upon his lips, the young Drow Elf gave a gentle flick of the wrist; which sent Ursa flying down into the cave puddles below.

Though it wasn't a high fall; she had little time to land herself safely and thus, ended up crashing onto the murky puddles of cave water. "Sister, are you alright" shouted Ezra, "anything broken or damaged?" After taking a moment to dust herself as clean as she could; Ursa assured that aside from her fur feeling "soiled," she was alright.

"It's one thing to mistreat these dead creatures, Drow Elf" hissed Ezra, "but when you try to hurt my kinfolk...that's where I get mad!" With that said, he drew out his claws and was prepared to charge Lokon. But he quickly stopped himself, after a pair of hands rested themselves upon both his shoulders.

The young druid looked behind him and saw the elves Alexi and Ventris standing over him, both of whom bearing a wary look upon their faces. "You must be smart about this, feline" said the elven ranger, "Lokon is not the sort of opponent you can simply charge down...this requires a different approach." With that said, he tossed what looked like a small glowing rock into Ursa's hands and asked her to load it onto her crossbow.

"I doubt this will do any damage against the likes of him, Sirrah" murmured the rogue, "but...if you insist." As she placed the pellet onto the bowstring of her weapon, Lokon was growing weary of having to wait for them. "Whatever you are plotting, it will do you no good" he muttered smugly, "nothing you have can compare to my..."

Before Lokon could finish his statement, Alexi gave the signal and Ursa fired the pellet at him. "Everyone, shield your eyes" shouted Alexi, "and be ready to attack when I say so." While still quite confused by the order, the party did as they were told and closed their eyes as tightly as they could. Meanwhile; as expected, Lokon used his magic to destroy the pellet before it could strike him.

But upon doing so, he was met with a most startling surprise. Once the pellet had been shattered; a blinding flash of light suddenly exploded from within its shell, blinding him. "GAH! You miserable wretch" Lokon seethed painfully, "how dare you use such trickery!" Rather than answer him, Alexi gave the signal and everyone swarmed the incapacitated Drow Elf.

Aayla struck him in the belly with her mace, Ursa slashed at him with a knife in one hand and used the claws from her other to attack his face; nipping it. Using his druidic powers, Ezra collected some cave moss and coated it with a light amount of fire. He then sent it flying towards Lokon's chest; where it proceeded to lightly singe him, upon contact.

Meanwhile, Ventris summoned the same form of levitation magic he used on Ursa moments before and held Lokon aloft in the air. This left Alexi and Shadow with an opportunity to deliver the possible final blow. "Quickly, while he's still recovering" shouted the young elf, "enchant my arrows with your magic!"

Shadow gave a soft nod, raised her right hand and soon; every arrow within Alexi's quiver was encased with a light green aura. _"I have enchanted them with an Acid Splash spell" _she said telepathically,_ "make your next shot count, Master Elf."_ After giving the Kenku sorceress a silent yet appreciative nod, Alexi nocked one of the arrows and took aim.

Upon noticing what his opponent was about to do, Lokon simply threw his head back and bellowed out a sarcastic laugh. "Do you really think a few flimsy arrows will harm _me_" he said smugly, "but...you're welcome to try, take your best shot." With that statement, the dark elf held up his arms and waited for Alexi to make his move.

At the same time, Alexi himself was growing flustered by his opponent's bravado. But he did everything he could to keep his mind calm. _"Remember what Father told you, lad"_ he thought to himself, _"ignore all unwanted noise, keep a steady arm and keep both eyes open."_

(Back to Reality)

At the board, everyone was waiting on pins and needles; wonder what was going to happen next. Among those who were anxious was Lori, who was tapping the base of her mage staff worriedly against the floor. "Would you _please_, stop with that tapping" groaned Lola, "it's not helping anything!"

Lori did as she was told, feeling too nervous to give her little sister any lip. Afterwards, her eyes swiftly fell onto Bobby; who was busy shaking the dice between his hands. Now, this first roll he was making was for Perception; which would help him aim his arrow just right at Silas' character.

If it proved successful, Bobby would have a clear shot at his opponent. But if he ended up getting a low number, it would be as if he were a blind man trying to shoot a moving target; regardless of his damage roll. After what felt like an eternity of waiting, he let the dice fly and everyone waited patiently to see what number he would receive.

In the end, everyone was both shocked yet surprised to see Bobby earn a Natural 22 Perception; which seemed rather pleasing to Lori. "After steadying your arm, Master Elf; you aim your arrow perfectly at Lokon's chest" said Principal Huggins with a smile in his Fastred voice, "now...roll another D20 for your attack." Bobby gave a light nod, plucked up the dice and began to shake it vigorously.

Once again, Lori found herself waiting on pins and needles with anticipation; wondering if her "Boo-Boo Bear" will be able to succeed in his attack. But just as it seemed he was about to let the dice roll, Bobby suddenly stopped moving; which surprised everyone. _"What's wrong, _mijo_" _questioned Mrs. Santiago on her monitor, _"having second thoughts on what move you want to use?"_

Bobby shook his head towards his mother, unclenched the dice in his hand and (much to everyone's confusion) proceeded to kiss it lightly. Naturally, this gesture caused a few players to grimace lightly in disgust; particularly Ronnie Anne. "Okay, Bro...first of all, eww" she murmured, "and secondly, what was the point of _that?"_

Without missing a beat; Bobby turned towards his sister and said that for a roll as "important" as this, he needed some good luck. It was then that Lynn Jr., of all people, suddenly understood what he was doing. In all her years of loving, watching and _playing_ sports; she had seen other athletes perform similar gestures out on the field.

Half of these players did so for the same reason Bobby was doing, luck; while others chose to do it for sentimental reasons. In any case, there was a part of her that hoped Lori's beau would succeed. Finally, after kissing the dice one final time; Bobby sent it flying.

Everyone waited patiently for the tiny piece of plastic to stop rolling, many of whom even had their fingers crossed; with the exception of Silas. Finally; the dice came to a halt and the entire table erupted with cries of joy, disbelief, excitement and even mild outrage. "HACKS, I CALL HACKS" exclaimed Joey from the far side of the table, "that's just too perfect of a roll!"

After listening to everyone's cries for a moment or two, Lori grew flustered and demanded to know what was happening. "Take a good look at your boy's roll, Lori" Carol urged, "then, you might understand why we're freaking out so much." With a light shrug of her shoulders, the eldest Loud Sister answered her friend's request and gazed down at the table.

The moment she saw the blue dice showing off the number "24," her eyes almost popped from her head. Not only had her boyfriend gained a perfect roll to aim his arrow; thanks to this roll, his shot would prove incredibly damaging (knock on wood.) When the rest of the Loud Sisters saw this, they were all as surprised as the other players.

"Bobby...you realize that there was a one and twenty chance of this happening just right, correct" Lisa murmured in disbelief, "you used that 1 in 20 chance on _this _scenario?!" Bobby chuckled sheepishly while blushing and claimed that he was "just lucky, I guess" with his result. This did little to dispel everyone's skepticism but they were still proud of him, nonetheless.

After taking a few moments to calm _themselves_ down, the Council called for everyone's attention and Lynn prepared to continue with the story. But try as he might, he found it difficult to keep down his overall joy of the situation and remain in character at the same time. "Okay...Okay, let's get moving here" he chuckled, "you aim perfectly and, despite the fact that your comrades are standing around you, you let fly your arrow straight and true towards Lokon; as if they weren't even there."

After volunteering to stand in his place; Mrs. Loud, while speaking in her Eliana voice, explains that the arrow is sent screaming towards Lokon. "I would recommend you do whatever you can to block it, young one" she informed the young Goth boy, "pray you will get a good Saving Throw." With a worried murmur in his throat, Silas plucked up his D6 dice and shook it vigorously.

Then, after rolling it; he crossed his fingers anxiously and prayed Fate would "save him." Alas, he was rewarded with only a "3" on his throw; which only warranted slight protection from Bobby's attack. "With a coy smile upon your face, you snatch the arrow in your hand; just before it runs through you" Lynn Sr. explained in his Acheron voice, "but you fail to notice the enchantment that it carries."

Upon mentioning this; Lynn explains that along with his hand being burnt by the Acid Splash enchantment, he is also left partially incapacitated. "That's great and all" murmured Lana impatiently, "but what does it mean for _us, _exactly?" Instead of the Council answering her inquiry, Lucy decided to do so in their place; considering _she_ was the one to cast the enchantment.

"Long story short; Lokon needs his hands, in order to use any of his spells" she said with a small smile, "but due to his injuries, he'll be open for _us_ to attack!" With this bit of news revealed, Lori and the twin toddlers smiled broadly at their opponent. "I just wanna say, kid...this literally isn't personal" said the blonde teen, "it's all part of the game."

Rather than be bothered by his possible impending doom, Silas offered a simple yet silent grin. _"I take no offense on what will happen to me, daywalker" _he thought to himself, _"all that matters is like it or not...you are slowly becoming one of us."_ After that, Lori's group of five was given their chances to attack.

Lana used a spell known as Flame Blade, which would conjure a scimitar-shaped sword of fire into her character's free hand. With it, she slashed Lokon's chest; delivering strong burning damage. Lola momentarily blinded him with a smoke bomb, which gave her the chance to use Sneak Attack and slash at Lokon's ankles.

With her eldest sister's help; Lily, as Lupa, charged forward and sunk her fangs deep into Lokon's other hand. This left the Drow Elf unable to defend himself with any magic. Finally; Ronnie Anne/Aayla, with her mace in hand, was ready to deliver the final blow.

But at the near last second; Lori, much to everyone's surprise, urged her not to attack. "Babe, are you nuts" Bobby said in his normal tone, "the guy's responsible for causing Lemerius all sorts of trouble...he needs to be punished!" The moment she heard him say this, Lori smiled coyly at her boyfriend and tapped the tip of her nose with her finger.

Admittedly, it took a solid fifteen seconds for the truth to hit Bobby. But when it did, his eyes grew as wide as dinner plates and he bellowed out a gasp that made him sound like a fish gasping on the shore. "OH...I get it, now" he murmured, "better to let justice be served than kill in cold blood?"

While she didn't quite like his terminology, Lori was still happy to see that she got her point across. _"I must agree with the young mage" _Mrs. Santiago stated in a dramatic tone, _"but I also recommend binding his hands, to ensure he doesn't attempt to use any of his spells again!"_ Lori's group nodded softly in agreement with the suggestion and Lucy was mere moments away from summoning some restraints.

"Just as you prepare to restrain Lokon, he suddenly springs back up on his feet" Mrs. Johnson said in her Eliana voice, "he then draws out a knife from his belt and charges...what do you do?" Without missing a beat, Lori looks over her spell sheet and comes up with an idea. "Just as he gets within range, I use my Sleep spell on him" she explained, "I know it lasts only a minute...but it's all the time we need to bind Lokon's hands behind him."

After the Council took note of everyone's movements and choices, Pop-Pop smiled and announced that everything went well. "Your Sleep spell instantly puts Lokon into a deep slumber" he explained, "afterwards, you use your magic to bind his hands slightly behind him." Despite this moment being a relatively small victory, the five Loud Sisters couldn't help but cheer with joy.

"I hate to be a downer here" Ronnie Anne interjected, "but according to the spell sheet, the sleep spell only lasts for about a minute." With this reveal, the girls' joyful mood instantly faded away. How would they be able to bring Lokon back to Lemerius before he woke up?

"If I could make a suggestion, girls" Mrs. Loud said in her normal voice, "Lori...there's a particular spell that you may find interesting on _your_ sheet." Confused yet mildly intrigued, the young teen took a look at the paper and found something at the near bottom of the list; "Teleportation Circle." "Okay...according to this, 'any creature within the circle is teleported to another location'" she muttered while reading, "this could work...I think."

Upon hearing her uncertain tone, Lori's younger sisters proceeded to grumble in confusion; wondering if she intended to get them killed. "Gimme a break here, girls" she growled lightly, "I'm literally working with things as I go along." This statement created a light murmur amongst the other players, many of whom appeared to be encouraging Lori.

"If that's what you wanna do, luv; have at it" Chunk said with a smile, "part of the fun of this game is improvisation." This bit of encouragement from Luna's roadie seemed to fill Lori with some confidence, much to her initial surprise. With that settled, she began drawing her finger along the open space at the table in front of her.

"Okay...so, my character draws up the portal circle" she murmured, "then, she writes the proper...er, what's the word; sigils or symbols along its rim." To emphasize her point, she draws a circle on the table and begins to mimic the shapes of the portal's sigils as best as she can. Though pleased by the fact that their daughter was starting to really get into the game, they quickly stopped her.

"Very well, then" murmured Lynn Sr. in his Acheron voice, "your character begins to make the portal upon the ground, while your friends keep watch for signs of trouble."

(The Game World)

As Ventris begins to make the portal circle, the others draw out their weapons and take defensive positions around her; certain that things were going too smoothly. "I don't see why we're so on edge now" Ezra scoffed lightly, "with this fool's hands singed and bound, what trouble could he possibly cause now?" As if Fate had overheard him, somehow; a loud rustling was then heard from the bush; which made the party feel quite antsy.

"Then, all of a sudden; three Owlbears suddenly leapt out of the thicket. They each landed two feet apart from the party and screeched loudly in anger, as if demanding them to release their master. "You certainly have a way of tempting the Fates; don't you, Brother" murmured Ursa, "do what you can to keep them away from Ventris!"

With this simple command, the party readied themselves for battle. But after their earlier scrap with Lokon, they soon felt fatigue slowly wash over them. They had little time to contemplate on that, however; as one of the three Owlbears made a charge for them.

After mustering as much strength as they could, the rest of the party charged towards the beast; while Ventris continued creating the portal. Even though each of their blows were not at full strength; they were, surprisingly able to hold their own against the raging Owlbear. "Best be quick with that portal, Mage" Aayla grumbled, "I don't know how much longer we can keep this up!"

No sooner had she said this, the Owlbear slashed his claws swiftly across her chest; digging deep into her skin. The moment he heard his sister's cries of pain, a raging fury ignited deep within Alexi; offering him a sudden boost in strength. "I take no pleasure in doing this" he growled, "but for attacking my sister, beast; you must pay!"

With that, he drew out his sword and drove it deep into the beast's throat. As she watched the whole display, Aayla's jaw fell open with shock; for it reminded her of how her father battled these creatures...before he was slain. This time, however; it was Alexi who emerged victorious.

Once defeated, the Owlbear's body disappeared in a puff of smoke and all that remained was a pile of its bones. No doubt, this was one of Lokon's few remaining creations. Alas, though he was able to defeat his opponent; Alexi's strength had quickly drained away and he was left incredibly weak.

This did not go unnoticed by the other two Owlbears, who snarled hungrily at the young half-elf. "Come, children" beckoned Lokon sinisterly, "come and slay these intruders and free your master!" The two beast cawed loudly in reply and charged straight for their master's captors.

But just as they were almost in range, Ventris had finished the last of the sigils and the portal began to activate. "Quickly, everyone" she exclaimed, "climb through the portal!" After making this command, Ventris roughly throws Lokon through first before jumping in after him.

A split-second later, everyone else made their way through landing just outside the home of Queen Arcaena. Naturally, them suddenly appearing out of nowhere took the queen and her guards by surprise. But before they could question what was happening, an Owlbear lunged through the still open portal and was moments away from tackling Shadow.

Just as the beast was about sink its beak or claws into her, Queen Arcaena urged Shadow to duck in cover. Upon doing just that, the Owlbear was suddenly shot down by a small series of arrows fired by the queen's guard. Afterwards, Ventris quickly closed up the other portal; just before the final Owlbear could pursue them.

As the party of heroes lay upon the floor, catching their breath; Arcaena quickly noticed the scars on Aayla's torso and gasped in horror. "What...how did this happen" she demanded, "what was Aayla doing accompanying you and the strangers, Alexi?!" Sensing his mother's concern/anger, the young elven ranger rose to his feet and did his best to stand at attention.

But before he could speak up, Aayla did her best to crawl over and kneel before her. "Your Majesty...don't be cross with your son" she murmured painfully, "it...it was _my _choice to follow them and I was happy that I did." After she said this, Ventris stepped forward and was granted permission to continue for her.

"Without Aayla's help, Your Ladyship; we would've been slain by the Owlbears that infested Mara-Kai" she stated, "you can thank our prisoner for sending them there." After this; Ezra and Ursa stepped forward, each of whom holding Lokon by his shoulders. When Arcaena caught sight of the Drow Elf, her face contorted into a vicious scowl.

"You...I thought my warriors disposed of your kind moons ago" she seethed, "I suppose they weren't entirely thorough in their efforts." Not long after, several other members of the court began shouting vicious slurs at Lokon; which took the party by surprise. "Goodness" murmured Ursa, "I know he did these elves great harm...but I never thought it would warrant _this_ much hostility."

The moment he heard her say this, Alexi suddenly tensed up in anger. But he did everything he could to remain calm, before he chose to speak to her. "Long before the Owlbears' plagued this forest, the Drow Elves of the mountains have desired to dominate the lands beyond their dark dwellings" he explained, "they harbor great hatred towards other races...but it is us Wood Elves whom they despise the most."

After this, Alexi revealed to everyone that Lokon was the one responsible for the Owlbear attacks. He also told them how Lokon used dark magic to create ghostly copies of the beasts. "He achieved this by utilizing the skeletal remains of slain Owlbears from the forest and a mountain den they once called home" Ezra added with a grimace, "Heaven rest the souls of those poor creatures."

Upon hearing both of the Drow Elf's crimes, Arcaena came close to burning red with anger. But before she could speak up, Lokon spitefully spat at her feet. "Believe me when I say...you and your people deserve a thousand times worse, for what you did to us" he growled, "go ahead, put me in chains...I will _never_ stop until all of you are dead!"

Rather than be intimidated by the young warlock, Arcaena simply snapped her fingers at him. Afterwards, Lokon was suddenly frozen within a glowing blue aura. "Take this wretch to the waste pit" she ordered dryly, "I shall deal with him later." With that command, two guards approached Lokon and lifted his frozen form up off the floor; where they proceeded to carry him out through the gates.

Once he was gone, Arcaena rushed toward her daughter and rested her hands upon the claw marks. "I told you to stay behind, child" she said firmly while healing the wound, "if you were to die...who would help keep Alexi safe?" After letting out a soft chuckle, Aayla took the queen's hand in hers and smiled.

"Alexi was the reason I left, Your Majesty" she murmured, "after losing both my mother _and _father...I refused to let anymore of my family be taken from me!" The Elf Queen said nothing in reply, feeling torn between whether to scold Aayla for getting hurt or to commend her for her love and dedication. In the end, she chose the latter and kissed her daughter on the forehead.

"I'm happy you are both safe, my dear" she murmured, "and that our plight is now at an end." After making certain Aayla's wound was fully mended, Queen Arcaena rose to her feet and bowed in gratitude to the party of heroes. Not long after, the rest of her court did the same; some even choosing to bow low against the floor.

As one would expect, the heroes were quite surprised by this display and were at a loss for words. So, instead; Queen Arcaena chose to speak first. "You have our eternal gratitude, champions" she said with a bright smile, "with the Owlbear scourge dealt with, my people can resume their lives and the dead can rest peacefully.

Choosing to act for the entire group, Ventris stepped forth and bowed respectfully to the queen. "We were happy to assist you, Your Ladyship" she stated, "may your forest blossom with new life once more." After expressing her thanks one final time; Arcaena insisted that if the party desired anything from them, her people would be honored to bestow it unto them.

_"Your generosity is most gracious, milady" _Shadow murmured telepathically with a light outward squawk, _"but there is but one thing we desire...to destroy the Bloodstone Keep." _The moment this was announced the elves of Lemerius began fretting fearfully; especially Alexi. "Are you lot mad" shouted the young ranger, "the land surrounding the Keep is a desolate place, home to only the vilest of creatures!"

At that moment, a member of the guard suddenly stepped forward; proclaiming that the queen who rules Bloodstone made Lokon look like a novice, in terms of the power she wielded. "We are quite aware of that, Sir" Ventris said firmly, "but we promised Lord Acheron of Avalonis that we would travel to this Keep and stop Queen Melaena's power from destroying our world." Before anything else could be said, Queen Arcaena rose from her throne and approached Ventris.

As she drew closer, the party could see the Elf Queen's eyes glowing a bright blue. Before she could question her on what is happening, Ventris soon felt her own eyes glowing. "Peace, child" Arcaena said in a hushed tone, "let me in your mind, show me what you've learned."

Though still quite confused by what was happening, Ventris chose to adhere to the queen's request and calmed herself down. Afterwards, she felt Arcaena rest her hands on both sides of her head and soon; both their eyes flashed brightly. Not long after, the Elf Queen's mind was suddenly filled with images of death and danger.

In time, she drew back with a fright and gasped loudly for air; hoping to calm herself down. Meanwhile, Ventris was rubbing her head; nursing a mild throbbing sensation that filled it. After a while, both she-elves were calm enough to look one another in the eye and speak.

"I understand, now" murmured Arcaena, "you have a great task ahead of you, everyone...but you shan't face it alone." Not long after she said this, the rest of the queen's court shouted out loud in agreement; also offering their support.

(Back to Reality)

Back at the table, Lynn Sr. explained that Arcaena offered Lori's party to eat with them and rest overnight at her home. "The following morning, you all ready your supplies and prepare to leave the castle" he stated, "but before you leave; Alexi approaches you, Ventris and says he wishes to give you something." After this, Lynn gave Bobby the cue to approach her; while Lori bounced anxiously with anticipation.

Then, much to her surprise; Bobby took hold of her left hand and kissed it tenderly. "Your assistance was most appreciated, Lady Ventris" Bobby said suavely, "I do hope our paths will cross again someday." At first, Lori wanted to say something in thanks for her "Boo-Boo Bear's" gesture but she was too far gone in her own giddiness to say anything.

"After this, Queen Arcaena hands you back your map" Mrs. Johnson explained in her Agathe voice, "on it, you notice a red line leading away from Lemerius and up towards a town up along a northeastern path." From here, he adds that after leaving this town, the party would have to move east; where they would come upon a city known as Olwen. Feeling curious, Lana asked what sort of importance this "Olwen place" had.

"There in lies an interesting story, honey" Rita said giddily, "but...I'm afraid that will have to wait until another day." This announcement caused everyone to groan loudly with disappointment. Meanwhile, the Loud Sisters tilted their collective heads in confusion and asked if the game was over.

"I'm afraid we've been at this part of the game for a long time" Principal Huggins announced, "which means it's almost 5 PM, it'll be time for all of us to head for home soon." Upon hearing this news, the Loud Sisters didn't know whether to feel confused or relieved. The moment he caught sight of their expressions, Lincoln told them not to worry.

"Come next Friday, we'll all be back here to continue right where we left off" he said with a broad smile, "isn't that great?" The moment this piece of news sunk in, the Loud Sisters suddenly realized their situation. Until they were finished with the campaign, they would return to this place every weekend with everyone and keep on playing it.

But rather than risk offending anyone, Luna chuckled softly and murmured "yeah, lil' Bro...awesome." Lincoln cheered softly with delight, leapt out of his chair and hugged his elder sister tightly in thanks. Touched by this gesture, Luna decided to swallow her pride and return the embrace.

Meanwhile, Lori found herself in what she considered a "social crossroads." "This can't be happening" Lori muttered softly, "there is no way I'm going to keep on playing this nerd game over the next few weekends!" With this thought in mind, she was moments away from telling her parents she wanted out.

But then, Lisa quickly reminded Lori of their parents' earlier warning. "If we do not see this whole thing through, our parental units will have us punished for leaving the house on Friday night" she whispered, "which is worse...playing this game or facing something like kitchen duty or being without your electronics?" After taking a moment to weigh the two options; Lori realized that compared to losing her electronic devices/privileges, playing the campaign to the end was "a small price to pay."

With that matter settled, the Loud Sisters wished everyone good night and followed their parents and brother back to Vanzilla. During the drive home, Lincoln began to "drone on" about the fun that had yet to happen in the game. "Just wait until everyone else gets a chance to join with you guys" he murmured ecstatically, "I know you guys will love the game too."

Rather than answer him outright, the other Loud Sisters chose to offer up either a thumbs up or soft nods in reply. But on the inside, everyone wondered how they would be able to keep their sanity for the rest of the game.

(First AN: That's a good question; at the rate things are going, will the Loud Sisters go crazy with "boredom" or will they soon find themselves becoming part of the few, the proud...the nerdy? Find out next time, as the quest continues)

(Second AN: Just as Silas told Lucy during this point in the game. Though you might be playing a villain-like character, it's important to mind your manners and not attack other players out of personal spite or what have you. When someone does that, it ruins the fun for everybody)

(Third AN: The creatures known as Saber Fangs that Ronnie Anne mentions in her character's backstory are not actually part of any D&D campaign. Rather, they are loosely inspired by the massive breeds of wolves from World of Warcraft. When I saw their large front teeth, I thought "I _had_ to make a critter like that."

Make no mistake, though; Saber Fangs are only slightly similar to the WoW wolf breeds. So, please; don't sue me.)

(Fourth AN: In regards to the death of Aayla's father, Salem; I used the divorce of Ronnie Anne's parents as inspiration for this. While RA's real world father, Arturo is very much alive, they have yet to get back together. Thus, I felt that this would be a good way to explain how Ronnie Anne's character is a half-sister to Bobby's.)

(Fifth AN: Lincoln's statement towards the Junior Mortician's Club, specifically him mentioning a trip to the Renaissance Faire, is a light reference to another fanfic of mine; A Day in the Life of the Gal Pals. To put it simply, this story is within the same universe as that of Gal Pals and I plan on doing a D&D inspired oneshot for A Day in the Life; in the future.)

(Final AN: To anyone who thinks that the four Loud Sisters weren't at the right levels to perform some of their spells, specifically the portal and Lucy's character enchanting Alexi's arrows, let me explain. While it's true that most D&D campaigns utilize the leveling up system, there are others that don't and it's the latter that I've chosen to base this story around. If you feel I've made mistakes in that regard, feel free to notify me; just keep your comments civil.)


	11. Chapter Nine: Temptations

Dungeon Withdrawal

With the weekend now behind them, everyone went back to their usual routines. That is to say...almost everyone did, save for one particular group; the Loud Sisters. After the ending their session on Sunday, Lori and the four who played beside her were quite confused.

How could they just...end everything when the game had only just begun? "The game isn't actually over, honey" Mrs. Loud said while sorting some laundry at home, "it's like we told you, we play the game every weekend until we've reached the end." Despite being told this explanation for the umpteenth time, the girls still appeared quite confused.

"So...what now, dudes" inquired Luna, "do we just go about the rest of the week like usual?" Without missing a beat, Lynn Sr. smiled at his daughters and gave them an "on the nose" gesture. "Just remember one thing" he said suddenly, "you can talk about the game amongst yourselves and fellow players, when you're alone...but _not_ out in public!"

To elaborate on this, he said that no one was to speak about their game in public places; such as the mall or out in the neighborhood. "You're more than welcome to discuss matters about the game, when you're in your friends' homes" Rita stated, "but when you're out in crowds, keep those matters quiet." Despite this (for lack of better words) lengthy explanation, the Loud Sisters still felt quite confused.

"Forgive me if I sound ignorant, Mother and Father...which is rather absurd for me to say" Lisa murmured, "but this is a hobby enthusiast's game, might I ask why we can't discuss matters involving it in public?" As if sensing her confusion; both Loud Parents began to explain about certain "non-player groups" in the world. While D&D was a hobby open to many, there were those in the world who saw the game as something to mock or destroy.

Thus, these sort of outsiders would find it "funny" to find out where their playing and disrupt everything they've worked on. In terms of the latter, there were those who saw the game as "evil" and would want it shunned from the community. Sadly; despite these examples, it didn't look like either Mr. or Mrs. Loud was getting through to their daughters.

It was here that Lincoln decided to offer up another way to explain the situation. "Look at it this way, girls" he began, "imagine if...if you all wanted to have private date with your special someone, only for some idiot to come along and ruin everything...that wouldn't be cool, right?" Upon mentioning this example, the elder Loud Sisters suddenly became quite angry; warning everyone to not get any such ideas.

"Don't worry, girls; it's just a theoretical example" Rita called out defensively, "but you understand the point we're trying to make...right?" After a moment or two of silence (a few more for Leni,) the girls soon understood their parents' words and nodded. "To put it simply, you're all welcome to go about your usual routines the rest of the week" Rita stated, "but you can only speak about the game openly when you're in the homes of fellow players or on video chat sessions...as long as no one else is around."

With this explanation, all ten of the Loud Sisters now had a full understanding of things and promised to keep quiet. With that settled, everyone went off to their rooms; eager to begin the rest of their day. _"I'm just literally glad it's Summer Break"_ Lori grumbled mentally, _"I don't know if I can keep my sanity over the next few weeks, if we were all still in school." _

Upon mentioning the word "school," she suddenly found herself thinking back to when this whole thing got started. Even now, she still found it hard to believe that his brother's teacher and principal were a part of this "geek fest." This led her to wonder if people like Coach Hutch, the head golf coach at Fairway University or any of _her_ teachers from the high school played the game as well.

"I literally can't believe this is happening" she whispered, "has this whole world suddenly been brainwashed by nerds!?" Coincidentally, the other Loud Sisters found themselves equally flabbergasted by everything. They could not believe how many of their friends, family, neighbors and countless others were so deeply invested in such a "silly game."

How could something that involved throwing dice, doing improv, talking about fairy tale creatures and wearing weird outfits have influenced so many people? While all these questions and more buzzed around their minds still, one thing felt certain; they were happy that the game didn't affect _any of them_ in that did they suspect however, that in the days ahead; certain circumstances would arise where Fate would test just how strong their convictions truly were.

(Scene Change: The Royal Woods Mall)

In the days that followed, each of the Loud Sisters decided to try and go about life as it was before. Be it going to the mall, performing household chores or just hanging out with their besties; things seemed to feel relatively normal again...at first. But then, there would come moments where each of them found themselves thinking back to their time Castle Greyhawk.

On one such occasion, it was Monday afternoon and Lori and Leni went out to the mall to take advantage of a new clothing sale that was just announced. As they browsed through the inventory, Leni soon spotted what she considered to be a "really cute raincoat." "Hey...I know this may sound weird" she murmured, "but the hoodie makes me think of what our parents and some of our friends were wearing back at the..."

Before Leni could finish her sentence, Lori squealed in alarm and firmly clasped her hand over her sister's mouth. "Keep your voice down about that" she whispered harshly, "we're in enough hot water for breaking _one_ of Mom and Dad's rules...do you really want to risk breaking another one?" Despite being unable to talk, Leni still answered the question with a quick shake of the head.

Before deciding to let her go, Lori did a quick look around the area; to make certain no one overheard Leni's comment. Once she saw that the coast was clear, she decided to let go of her. "Sorry about that" Leni whispered softly, "I just thought the raincoat looked like something one of our friends was wearing the other day."

Upon giving the aforementioned garment a look for herself, Lori suddenly found herself thinking back to Bobby's elven cloak. Despite her overall shock towards seeing him play a "geek oriented" game, she couldn't deny the fact that he looked rather handsome in it. Suddenly, Lori realized what was happening and quickly tried to push the idea out of her head.

_"Snap out of it, Loud; you're going crazy" _she thought to herself, _"look for something else...anything that _won't _make you think of that game!"_ With that thought in mind, Lori began scouring through every area of the store; desperate to find something, buy it and get out. But everywhere she went, the result was the same; fantasy-style clothing items.

"What in of all that's trendy is going on here" Lori shrieked in both annoyance and confusion, "where did all these weird outfits come from?!" As if on cue; Mrs. Carmichael, the store's manager and Leni's employer, arrived at the scene and decided to give the girls an in-depth explanation on the new line. "It's the latest idea by the designer, Fabian Le'Tool" she said with glee, "he calls it 'Medieval Chic.'"

Lori let out a mildly shrill "eee" in alarm, upon hearing this news; wondering if this was all just some sort of crazy dream she was in. Meanwhile, Leni was simply bouncing with glee at the new line; proclaiming it to be "adorably retro." There were hoodies that looked like monk robes, stylish Arabian-style sandals, semi-formal shirts that showed images of medieval stained glass imagery.

However, Leni was particularly awestruck by the "Medieval Chic" accessories that were also on display. From the faux leather pouches, the belts, the hooded cloaks; right up to all the varieties of jewelry for sale. "This is all so gorge, Mrs. C" gushed Leni, "I've heard of clothes that were chic before...but I've never heard of 'Medieval Chic' before."

Mrs. Carmichael smiled warmly at her employee, apparently pleased that she liked the new line. "Word on the street is Fabian got the idea from all the Ren Faires across the country" she murmured slyly, "other sources claim he got it from a supposed 'odd fascination' with a board game called Dungeons & Dragons." After doing everything she could to push down her initial shock, Lori let out a soft chuckle at the idea.

"Not to seem rude towards Fabian, I've literally been in love with his work for years" she murmured, "but why would someone like _him_ be interested in such a game?" Mrs. Carmichael chuckled softly at Lori's comment and said that she also found it all quite absurd...at first. "But as you may have noticed, what was once considered 'geeky' is now beloved by many" she proclaimed, "even my husband has a fascination with the game."

This statement caused both Loud Sisters to suddenly stiffen up in alarm. Upon slightly recovering a few seconds later, Leni asked her employer if _she_ ever played the game before. "With my schedule as it is, I don't have much time for such games" Mrs. Carmichael stated, "but...I _do_ dabble in it once or twice a week."

From here, she explained how playing the game not only makes her husband and son feel happy; it also helped ease any work related stresses she might have. "We all need some form of escapism from the world from time to time, girls" Mrs. Carmichael stated, "some use smooth jazz, others like to read and there are those who find playing games to be an acceptable example as well." Upon hearing this, both Loud Sisters suddenly found themselves staring blankly at one another.

After giving Mrs. Carmichael's words some thought, they swiftly realized that she raised some good points. Furthermore; as she thought back to her first times playing the game, Lori remembered the small "thrill" she felt when she got her first "Nat 20" roll. When she heard her parents describe the perfect nature of her attack against the Owlbear, Lori actually felt awestruck.

However, in spite of all this; she still refused to allow herself to fall completely into the "geeky side." "This is getting ridiculous" she grumbled, "I just hope the others are doing any better at keeping themselves sane."

(Line Break)

As Lori "struggled" with confronting images of "geekdom" within her part of town; her other sisters would soon find themselves in similar situations. We first join up with Luan, who was currently on her way to visit Benny. "I tell ya, Mr. Coconuts; things have been feeling...a little too normal lately" she murmured to her ventriloquist dummy, "especially after what we did last weekend."

Through Mr. Coconuts, Luan urged herself not to worry so much about things. "'Maybe some time with your fella will cool you off, dollface'" the dummy "stated," "'a few yucks and chuckles with him will be just the trick to help take your mind off that silly game.'" Luan smiled warmly at her dummy, let out a deep sigh of relief and resumed her walk towards Benny's house.

In time, she reached her destination and was ready to knock on the door. But then, she heard the sounds of uproarious laughter coming from inside. Confused yet curious at the same time, Luan peered over towards the living room's bay window.

What she saw next surprised her so greatly, it made even Mr. Coconuts' jaw drop. Inside the living room was Benny, who appeared to still be dressed in his bard attire from the game. He was rolling about the living room floor and performing tricks for a small group of people (presumably his mother and some family friends.)

At first, Luan looked on with a sense of shock and confusion; wondering why Benny would still remain dressed this way in public. However, at the same time; she had seen him wear much "weirder" outfits before (his clown outfit, costumes for all manner of school plays and of course, his uniform for their Advanced Mime class at school being three such examples.) _"Still, though; we're not playing the game until the weekend"_ Luan thought to herself, _"why would he want to dress this way in public...or at least, in front of family?"_

As she stood there, watching her boyfriend perform what she presumed to be his "Bardic abilities" from the D&D game, Luan suddenly felt her heart go "pitter-patter" like a drum. Perhaps it was how he looked dressed as a bard or how he was able to win over his audience with his tricks. Either way, she still found his antics rather...charming.

As he bowed before his audience inside the house, Benny suddenly glanced over at the window and spotted Luan staring at him. With a coy grin upon his face; the young performer cleared his throat softly, approached the front door, pushed it open and exclaimed "Lady Luan, my dearest love...come hither." But when he did so, his voice sounded soothing yet quite boastful; like that of a tenor opera singer.

Upon hearing this voice, Luan felt a sudden chill flow through her. Never before had she heard her beau address her so suavely before. Unfortunately; she was so awestruck by his antics, all Luan could say was the soft muttering of "ba...ba...ba."

"Do not fear me, little lamb" Benny said in a sultry voice, "come...join me in my humble home for a song and some refreshment." Soon after he said this, Benny brought out a lyre; the same one he used for his performance last Friday night. Then, he began to gently twang and strum each of the strings; creating an array of heavenly sounds in the process.

Within seconds, the young comedienne found herself becoming deeply enchanted by Benny's music. With a deep sigh and a squiggly smile upon her lovestruck face, Luan suddenly "floated" into Benny's home; eager to hear more of his musical skills.

(Line Break)

A day or so later, in another part of town; Luna and her bandmates were sitting themselves comfortably in Sam's living room. After learning about the odd situations that happened with two of her sisters, she hoped to find some semblance of "normalcy" among her own friends. Upon her arrival, Luna greeted the Sharp Family in the usual fashion.

She gave the parents a hearty hello, she playfully ruffled Simon's shaggy hair and gave Sam a quick kiss (much to her bandmates "disgust.") "Hey, ease up on the romance stuff you two" George said with a fake gagging sound, "I see enough of that from my folks at home!" Upon hearing this, the couple simply stuck their tongues out playfully and shared a hug before sitting down with everyone.

"I'm happy you could make it, Lunes" Sam said gleefully, "the guys and I recently made a new jam and I've been sorely anxious to share it with you." This news caused Luna to simply glow with excitement; during sessions, she always loved hearing her crew share original tunes. "Sure, Samurai; I'd love to hear it" she stated, "where can I plug in the guitars?"

Much to the Loud Girl's surprise, her bandmates shook their heads and said they wouldn't need their usual gear. Instead, George made his way over to a large case he brought with him. Mind you, it wasn't anything too big for him to handle but it was still quite heavy.

On top of _this_ case, there was another much smaller one. Not wishing to strain herself, Luna chose to help carry over the latter case; while Ruth helped George with the larger one. As they moved these items towards the sofa, Luna couldn't help but wonder what her bandmates had inside of them.

She already deduced that the smaller case must've had something small inside; like an amp, a recording device, a computer or even a small instrument (like a French horn.) But when the case was finally opened, Luna was met with a surprising sight. The item in the case _was_ an instrument...but it wasn't any of the ones she speculated on.

Instead, it was a small accordion; something she didn't quite recall seeing George play before (least of all, not in front of her.) When the larger case was opened, everyone pulled out a pair of really odd looking drums and a pair of drumsticks. The whole time she watched her friends set these items up, Luna wondered what sort of song her friends could make with just two instruments.

"Okay, Looney Tunes" Sam giggled, "just have a seat and get comfy; as we tell you a story of a town under threat...by a vicious monster!" No sooner had she said this, Simon suddenly popped in and started bouncing with glee. "OHMYGOSH! OHMYGOSH! Are you going to sing the song again, Sammy" he asked eagerly, "can I help sing along with you guys, _pleeeeease?!_"

At first, Simon expected his sister to immediately deny his request and was prepared to break out the classic "puppy-dog eyes" in retaliation. But surprisingly, much to Luna's confusion; Sam happily welcomed him to join in. "You remember what to do; right, Bro" she asked, "just clap along when I give you the cue."

Simon nodded enthusiastically and took his position on the couch beside Luna; ready to begin. With that done and after she made certain her voice was ready, Sam gave George a nod and he began to play the first notes of the song on his accordion. What Luna heard next was so hauntingly beautiful, it almost sounded like a siren's song.

(Sam)

Beware his maw, King of the Undertow  
One who takes the strongest below  
Tale of one who creates the thunder  
One who brought me under too.

(George and Simon suddenly play a rhythmic drum beat)

Everyone except Luna: HEY!

(Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!)

(Sam)

I'll tell you the story from many years ago  
Before we had taken this town for our own

Ruth, George & Simon: Hey!

(Sam)

A fearsome monster of the ocean was lurking  
Upon the shores of our home

Our crewmen would leave and they'd seldom return  
And those who did told of the beast who incurred  
The wrath of the gods living beneath the sea  
The one they only call the King

[Ruth, George, Simon, Mr. & Mrs. Sharp]

(Beware his maw, King of the Undertow)  
(One who takes the strongest below)  
(Tale of one who creates the thunder)

(Sam)

The one who took me under too

(Sam)

No one from that city would come to our aid  
As our children would suffer day after day  
Our supplies would soon drain, only there for their gain  
Lack of supply made for a great pay

George, Ruth & Simon: HEY!

(Sam)

No longer could we wait for someone to arrive  
We decided that we could no longer stand by  
With the strongest of us, taking the boldest of us  
We'd finally take down the King

All except Luna: YAH!

George, Ruth, Simon and the Sharp Parents: Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!

All: _Boom! Crash!_

Sam: Went the raging storm

All: _Boom! Crash!_

Sam: As we faced down our foe

All: _Boom! Crash!_

Sam: Went the tail of the beast  
But we are not easy to beat!

All: _Boom! Crash!_

Sam: As the battle wore on

All: _Boom! Crash!_

Sam: Our men remained so strong!

All: _Boom! Crash!_

Sam: But as we thought we'd won  
The bastard, he breached and took one of us down!

(As the accordion music suddenly turns somber, Sam's demeanor becomes slightly grim for the next verse)

It was darker than night in the maw of the beast  
All I could taste was my blood and the sea  
But even as I knew the end of approaching  
I knew he was waiting for me

(Sam gives Luna a knowing look and smiles)

Sam: You want to know what I did?

The others: So, what did you do?

Sam: You want to know what I did?!

Luna: Uh...What did you do?

Sam: I'll tell you what I did, I screamed louder than lightning; burned the King inside out!

All but Luna: YA!

(As the music picks up one final time, Sam and crew deliver a powerful finale for the song)

He-e-e-e-ey!  
He-e-e-e-ey!  
_He-e-e-e-ey!_  
_He-e-e-e-ey!_  
_He-e-e-e-ey!_  
_He-e-e-e-ey!_  
He-e-e-e-ey!  
He-e-e-e-ey!  
He-e-e-e-ey!

With that final note, the song had come to an end and...all was quiet. After taking a moment to catch their breath, all eyes swiftly fell upon Luna; who looked as though her own eyes were about ready to pop from her head. The band and Simon giggled softly at her, thinking that Luna's facial expression looked adorable (at least...Sam thought it was adorable.)

After a few moments of silence, everyone gave a quick snap of their fingers; which caused Luna to immediately come back to her senses. "So, Lunes...what did you think" Sam inquired breathlessly, "was it rockin'...or does it need a few tweaks?" After quickly shaking away the hearts in her eyes, the young Loud girl smiled goofily and gave her a thumbs up; all while muttering "luv...that was brilliant!"

This bit of positive feedback caused George, Ruth and Simon to burst into cheers of victory. Meanwhile, Sam rewarded Luna for her critique with a tight embrace and a light kiss upon the cheek. "Thanks so much for that, hon" she said gleefully, "we've worked so hard on the song, we thought we could use it for the game."

After hearing these words; in a matter of seconds, Luna's blissful state shattered and gave way to a look of uneasiness. When Sam caught sight of this, her own blissful demeanor softened a little and asked Luna to have a seat with her on the sofa; which she complied to.

"I just wanna start off by saying...thanks" she murmured, "thanks for...you know, joining us for the D&D session and all." From here; Sam added that while she knew the game wasn't really her thing, it still touched her heart knowing that Luna was still willing to give it a shot. "Of course, Samurai" the pixie cut rocker affirmed, "I learned my lesson from Astonishing Quest and I really _do_ want to try new things with you...even if some of the stuff is nerdy."

This statement caused a mixed reaction from those present in the room. Mr. and Mrs. Sharp felt that Luna truly was an open-minded young lady, her bandmates smiled brightly at her while giving her the "rock on" goat horns gesture, Sam was tempted to simply tackle Luna to the couch and nuzzle her to death...but resisted and Simon (while in a playful manner) proclaimed that things were becoming "too sappy" for him. Choosing to ignore the last comment; Luna confessed that while she _was_ willing to keep playing, she felt that she barely had the chance to do so.

"Don't you worry your pretty lil' head, Lunes" Sam assured, "we'll _both_ get our time to shine, come next weekend." Intrigued by this sudden comment, Luna asked everyone how the next D&D session would involve her and/or Sam. "Sorry, missy; that's spoiler territory" George said firmly, "you'll just have to wait until Friday night."

While doing her best to appear indifferent on the outside; on the inside, Luna's psyche appeared ready to snap. She had to wait until Friday for the next part of the game...that was like, three days away; how could she last until then? "I will tell you _one_ thing, though" Sam said coyly, "I'll bet you're wondering how my character burned 'the King' from the inside, right?"

Upon hearing this question, Luna suddenly felt oddly conflicted. On one hand, she _did _feel genuinely curious about how the figure in Sam's song (possibly) survived being swallowed up. But on the other hand, she didn't want to appear "too eager" to know the secret and did her best to appear nonchalant about it.

As if sensing her GF's "curiosity;" Sam walked over to the coffee table, came back with a D&D guidebook and opened up to a page that spoke of something called "Hellish Rebuke." "What the heck does _that _mean" questioned Luna, "I mean...from the name alone, I'm guessing it must mean something rather evil?" In response to this, Sam and her bandmates gave her a sort of "so-so" hand gesture.

"It all depends on who's _using it_, to be honest" Ruth stated, "but basically, it allows Tieflings (that's Sam's character) to surround any enemy who wounded her with powerful flames...all by just pointing a single finger." As if on cue; Sam raised her hand in a sort of handgun gesture and playfully said "bang" at Luna, leaving the aforementioned rocker speechless.

(Line Break)

As the week continued on, the rest of the Loud Sisters soon found themselves either subconsciously thinking about the game or seeing something in their surroundings that would remind them of it. On one such example, Lynn Jr. was out playing some football with a few of her friends. When one of them managed to score a touchdown, she trilled her tongue and ululated in a way that sounded like a warrior's victory cry.

At first, Lynn grew suspicious of this; thinking she might've been part of the craze too. But then, she started to realize it was nothing more than a coincidence. Then, during another point of the game; Lynn suddenly tackled one of her opponents...a bit more aggressively than normal.

This was soon followed up by her proclaiming "feel my wrath, manling!" In that moment; whether it was the odd looks both teams gave her, the ref's disapproving stare or her own mind screaming for her to wake up...Lynn suddenly realized what she'd said and suddenly blushed a deep shade of red. She had yet to play the game herself and yet, Lynn was now starting to talk just like the other "nerds" down at "Castle Greyhawk."

With all this in mind, she suddenly felt a shiver of disgust run through her; as if she had committed a dirty crime. Meanwhile, back at the Loud House; Lisa was in the middle of working on some random chemistry experiments in her room. While one of her beakers was cooling off, she got thirsty and went into the kitchen for some orange juice.

As she poured herself a glass, Lisa spotted one of her parents' D&D books on the table. "Hmm...Perhaps Mother and Father have forgotten to take this into their room" she murmured, "I will do so for them, as an act of good will." With that thought in mind, Lisa plucked the book off the table and proceeded to carry it back to the aforementioned bedroom.

But unfortunately; due to her stature and the book's size, it proved too heavy for her and she lost her balance. This resulted in her tripping over herself and dropping the book. "Drat it...I knew lugging such a large tome on my own would be impossible for me" Lisa muttered bitterly, "I hope it is undamaged."

Without pause, she rushed over to where the book fell and saw that it was still in one piece; much to her relief. At the same time, she saw that it had opened up on a chapter involving alchemy. Now, it didn't take someone with _Lisa's _IQ to know that the game wouldn't allow players to concoct real versions of the games potions and brews.

However, what she found on the page instead was something that she actually found quite interesting; "dice potion bottles." "According to this; I would require food coloring, a specific variety of the game's dice pieces, silver additive, twine, small tags and...Epoxy resin" Lisa muttered while reading the page, "I do believe I saw some resin in the garage...but I will need protective wear to use it." With that; she hurried into her room to collect some gloves, protective eyewear and a breathing mask.

Upon collecting these things, she went about gathering the items needed to make the potion bottles. "I don't know why it matters, to be quite frank" Lisa thought hopefully, "but...I hope everyone will welcome my contributions to the game." With that, she put on her protective gear and immediately began her work.

(Line Break)

As our story brings us to the younger members of the Loud Family; we find that, unlike their elder sisters, they were becoming sorely anxious to play the next round of Dungeons & Dragons. Their desire was so great, they were often tempted to act out their character roles at home during playtime. But then, they quickly remembered to keep this behavior strictly among themselves and not let any unwanted eyes notice.

Thus, anytime they wished to talk about the game; it would have to be done in the privacy of their home. On one such occasion, everyone saw Lana waving her hands strangely at the house pets and making all sorts of odd noises. "Uh...Sis, are you feeling okay" Lola inquired uneasily, "did you eat Cliff's rotten cat food again?"

The young grease monkey suddenly stopped her behavior, turned towards her sister and explained that she was pretending to be like her druid character by communicating with the pets. "I mean...I know that stuff's just in my imagination" Lana admitted, "but wouldn't it be cool if we _could_ talk to animals like druids do?" While she couldn't deny that such abilities were impressive, Lola quickly retorted in saying that no one was as "into animals" as Lana was.

"What about _you_, sweetie" Rita asked, "wouldn't _you_ like to be as sly, crafty and cunning as a rogue?" While still trying to be respectable, Lola rolled her eyes slightly at her mother and proclaimed "I think I do all that pretty well already." In response, Lynn Sr. said that while that was true; she didn't quite have the thieving skills of a rogue.

"If you did, you would be able to sneak around anywhere without anyone noticing" he stated, "not to mention expertly swipe anything you can get your hands on...like fresh cookies just out of the oven?" Confused by this example, Lola was moments away from asking her father why he used it. But then...she realized that he was referring to earlier that week, when he made fresh double chocolate chip cookies for dessert.

So tempted was she to try one that Lola, against her every urge not to, chose to sneak one of the cookies. However, Lynn Sr. made so many of them that she thought he wouldn't even notice. "If you're wondering how I came to notice you took the cookie honey, you left quite a few clues" Lynn Sr. said suddenly, "namely a couple of crumbs and some chocolate stains on your gloves."

After letting her father's words sink in, Lola suddenly realized what he was talking about. Earlier that week, he made such cookies for the family and she was _extremely_ eager to have one. But the moment she claimed one, Lola didn't consider the idea of leaving the sort of clues her father mentioned behind.

"That's water under the bridge, though; hon" Lynn Sr. assured, "however, I'll be making a few things for this weekend's session for everyone and I don't want anyone pigging out on _them_...understood?" Without hesitation, the twins nodded their heads and vowed not to touch any of the food...unless they were taste testing. Suddenly, from out of nowhere; Lily came rushing into the living room.

Now, she was always known to be a fast crawler for her age. This time, however; she appeared to be running about the room on all fours. At the same time, Lily was also barking and growling softly wherever she went.

At first, everyone thought she was pretending to be Charles (which was something she often did.) But then; she crawled up on top of the sofa, eased herself back slightly and let out a small howl. "Wow, looks like Lily's pretending to be a wolf" Lana chuckled, "almost like how she did when we played the game."

Upon taking their daughter's words to heart and seeing what Lily was doing, the Loud Parents sniffled softly; feeling proud that some of their daughters were becoming so invested in something they _themselves_ enjoyed. At the same time, they wished the rest of the girls would feel the same way. "Give them time, honey" Rita murmured sweetly, "remember how long it took for _me_ to get into the game when we were young?"

(A flashback scene shows a younger Lynn Sr. playing D&D with some college friends. It also shows a younger Rita, who appears rather bored of the whole thing.)

(As the flashback shows another round of Lynn's session, he bashfully offers up the dice to Rita and asks her to join him. Against her better judgment; Rita accepts and throws the dice sloppily across the table. In the next scene, which takes place sometime father into the future, Rita appears to be sorely invested into the game.)

"You have neared the end of your trial, an old woman approaches from castle to congratulate you" a young Game Master Lynn Sr. explained, "when suddenly; A BLACK DRAGON APPEARS FROM BENEATH HER SHAWL!" The other players gasp in horror at this turn of events and pray that Rita will make a strong roll. After giving the dice a quick shake, she lets them fly and calls out the number "77."

"It does you no good, I'm afraid" sighed another player, "your sword's blade bounces off the dragon." Rather than be upset by this, Rita simply smiles at everyone and reaches into her purse. "With the aid of my Cloak of Power, my weapon gains a +7 to its strike" she said matter-of-factly, "which could give me just the boost I need to win."

Upon hearing her words, every player suddenly started typing away furiously at some calculators. After doing the math for thirty seconds, there was much cheering heard. "You are quite correct, Madame Paladin" Lynn chuckled with glee, "and factoring in your proximity to the castle then...THE BEAST IS VANQUISHED!"

After this, it was decreed that Rita had now mastered Level 9 of her character class. While she still didn't quite understand what it meant; Rita was still so overjoyed by this news, she leapt happily into Lynn Sr.'s arms with a jolly laugh. But this only lasted for a few brief seconds, before Rita and Lynn shyly pushed away from each other.

(Back to Reality)

Upon reflecting on this memory, Mr. and Mrs. Loud couldn't help but sigh blissfully in unison. "You see, honey; if I grew to love the game overtime, I'm sure the rest of our girls will too" Rita stated, "if not _this_ weekend...maybe the next one." As Lynn took his wife's words to heart, he looked on towards his little ones; who were busily running about the floor while acting out their D&D character roles.

"Come little wolf cub" Lana called out to Lily, "Ursa is being pursued by a band of thieves, we must save her!" Lily responded to this with a soft yet fierce growl and ran outside into the yard. As they watched the children head out into the yard, Mr. and Mrs. Loud couldn't help but find the whole spectacle adorable.

Perhaps, in time; the rest of their daughters would be won over by the game.

(Line Break)

By Thursday Night, the Loud Sisters appeared to be at the end of their rope. Because of this, Lori called everyone for an Emergency Sibling Meeting in her room (or rather, Emergency _Sister_ Meeting.) "We all know why we're here, right" Lori announced, "it's because that silly game keeps trying to literally creep its way into our lives!"

No sooner had she said this, the girls began to talk about all the "weird" stuff that had happened to them during the week. After hearing all the testimonies, everyone was now fully certain they were being "brainwashed." "It's a conspiracy, I tell ya" Lynn grumbled, "all those people out there are tryin' to turn us into uncool nerds with their stupid game!"

Upon hearing her older sister's comment; the twins, Lana and Lola, quickly stood in defense of it and decreed that it wasn't as bad as the others claimed. "It's easy for you two to say that, you're little kids" Lynn retorted, "you're supposed to love pretending...but us older ones are supposed to grow outta that stuff." No sooner had she said this, Luan broke out Mr. Coconuts and proclaimed "the folks probably didn't get the memo about that."

This comment caused Lynn to become slightly annoyed and she was prepared to let the dummy know that. But then, Lori slammed her shoe on the table slightly and called for order. "Focus, people...even if Lynn's right; we seem to be in the minority here" she grumbled, "no matter what we think, the world seems to be making geek culture the 'hot item' these days."

Before anything else could be said, Leni rose from her seat and proclaimed that she was happy that nerds were getting their time to shine. "When you think about it, this game allows our friends and family the chance to express themselves in ways people like _us_ call 'socially unacceptable'" she explained, "I mean...did any of us know Benny could sing?"

Without a moment's pause, eight of the ten Loud Sisters sounded off with a soft, "no." Meanwhile; Luan, after being reminded of her beau serenading her, was moments away from fainting blissfully. But after touching her cheek with one of her shock buzzers, she quickly snapped back to her senses.

"Leni's got a point, dudes" Luna said suddenly, "just the other day, Sam played a jam for me with our bandmates...and it was _rockin'._" The moment everyone heard her say the last word, it almost sounded like Luna was swooning. "Okay...maybe she's got a point, maybe the game _does_ show of sides of our friends we've never seen before" Lori confessed, "but still, we don't belong with them in that world."

From here, she tried to make it seem like the world of D&D was "too alien" for the likes of them. "I mean...I, personally don't _do _dungeon quests" Lori said firmly, "if Mom and Dad assigned me to make outfits for the players; then, that's fine." While a small part of her sided with Lori's reluctance in embracing the game fully, Lisa was quick to remind her of their parents' orders.

"Whether we like it or not, Sisters; we must endure the remainder of the game to the very end" she stated, "and that includes whatever temptations the world might use to 'convert us.'" As much as they didn't like to admit it, the girls knew Lisa spoke the truth. At the same time, they also believed that any further temptation to fully embrace the game might cause them to go crazy.

"All we can do now, girls is keep on playing until we either reach the end...or until our characters get killed off" Lori declared morbidly, "I mean...c'mon, the game's campaign can't be as long as our parents' claim, could it?" Rather than answer her outright, the other Loud Sisters looked at one another with worried expressions; wondering if their sister might be tempting the Fates with her words.

(First AN: It's official, the Loud Sisters are experiencing Dungeon Withdrawal; something I'm sure many first time players might've experienced. Will they be able to keep their sanity, as the game progresses and when will those who are still on the fence decide to fully embrace the love of D&D? Find out the answers to these questions and more, as D, D&D continues)

(Second AN: The designer's name, Fabian Le'Tool is actually based on a character from Disney's The Replacements. In said show; Fabian is a hair stylist, not a fashion designer. As for the "Medieval Chic" clothes Lori and Leni found; while they aren't in the same style this chapter describes, there _is_ a real world brand of clothing made to look like Medieval fashion.

I thought the idea would be just the trick to try and tempt Lori into joining the "geek side")

(Third AN: For those who've not seen the Character Names and Fanon Voices "chapter" of this fic. Know that when he speaks in character, he sounds like the actor, Sam Riegel; who is known for voicing characters like Riven from Winx Club, Emperor Awesome from Wander Over Yonder, Donatello from the 2003 Ninja Turtles series and most importantly, Scanlan Shorthalt from the ever popular D&D internet series, Critical Role.

But when he sings; Benny's voice sounds like the famed Opera singer, Andrea Bocelli. I thought both voices would be a perfect fit for his role as a Bard)

(Fourth AN: Speaking of bards, Sam and Co.'s little musical number for Luna is based on the D&D inspired song entitled Maw of the King by Cami-Cat. I've listened to the song more times more times than I can count and loved it each time. Originally, I was planning on having Sam perform it during her introductory chapter of the story.

But at the moment, I'm stuck on how to properly implement it in such a way. Regardless, I'm happy that I've finally been able to put the song into the story)

(Fifth AN: I know the show has confirmed that Ruth is actually known as Mazzy and that George is known as Sully. But hear me out; the way I see it, those two names sound like surnames to me. What I mean is Sully is often short of Sullivan, which is the name of one of the two main characters from Monster's Inc.

Long story short; rather than call him James, everyone in the movie seems to mainly call him Sullivan/Sully. Thus, I thought that _our_ Sully may be in the same boat. As for "Mazzy," I feel like that could be a nickname for her and that Ruth is her real name.

In any case; thanks to LunaLoudFan23 and her usage of the names George and Ruth, they've just stuck with me and that's what I've dubbed them in my own "headcanon." I hope everyone won't mind this minor change)

(Final AN: While it's unknown to me if players have actually attempted to make true herbal potions they've seen within the game. It _is_ possible for people to make what are called "dice potion bottles" with the ingredients Lisa found. I got this idea from some "How To" videos from YouTube, while looking for information.

The two most common ones are Red Dice Bottles for Health and Blue Dice Bottles for Magic. Do not make these items without supervision or the proper safety gear, I _IMPLORE YOU! _As some of the videos warn, the materials used to make them are incredibly hazardous and could kill you)


	12. Chapter Ten: The Band of Bards

The Band of Bards

After a long and emotionally taxing week (at least for the likes of Lori,) the weekend arrived and the Loud Sisters were on their way back to Castle Greyhawk. This time, however; they went to the building _together _with their parents and brother_._ But while several of the kids were bouncing in their seats with anticipation, the elder members of the siblings still appeared uncomfortable.

When she saw the looks on each of their faces, Rita couldn't help but feel concerned. "Don't look so glum, girls" she urged kindly, "Lori...you must've had some enjoyment from the game last weekend...didn't you?" For a moment, she didn't answer; fearing that if she told the truth, it would make her feel like a dweeb.

At the same time; she knew that if she didn't answer, her mother would be quite irritated. So, she decided to go for a "middle ground" answer and softly murmur "eh...it was okay, I guess." Despite this response sounding rather unemotional, it still satisfied Lynn and Rita.

"You're lucky you even got to play, Lori" Luan grumbled with a frown, "meantime, the rest of us are stuck on the sidelines." As if on cue, the remaining six sisters sounded off in bitter agreement; asking when it would be _their_ time to shine. "I'm sorry to say that one or two of you will have to wait just a little longer" Rita said matter-of-factly, "but...tonight, _two_ of you will be joining in on the game."

Feeling curious, the girls asked which among them would be joining the quest; to which Lynn Sr. playfully answered with "it's a surprise." As expected, this response was met with a unanimous groan from the girls. But Lincoln quickly assured them they wouldn't have too long to wait for the "surprise."

"But there is _one_ thing we_ can_ tell you about today's session" Rita stated, "before we start...Luna, Luan; you two will have to be fitted into your costumes." This announcement garnered mixed reactions from the two brunettes. While Luna was eager to get into her bard getup again, Luan suddenly remembered the character race _she_ chose and frowned heavily.

_"If people won't make fun of me for playing, they'll_ definitely _laugh at my costume"_ she thought bitterly, _"maybe...maybe Benny might think it's cute on me...I dunno."_

(Scene Change: the dressing rooms at Castle Greyhawk)

After a while, the family arrived back at the "castle" and proceeded to the dressing rooms. In time; Lori, Lily, Lucy, Lana and Lola arrived at the Great Hall and greeted everyone accordingly. But right away, Lori saw that something was missing...or rather, someone.

"Wait a sec...where are Bobby and Ronnie Anne" she asked confusedly, "I know their part in the story 'ended' after we left Lemerius...but aren't they playing with us anymore?" As if sensing her confusion, Rita (while in character as Game Mistress Eliana) told Lori that she _would_ see them again; just not for _today's_ session. "From what Mrs. Santiago told me, the _Mercado _seems to be pretty busy today" Rita explained, "so, the family will need _both _Bobby and Ronnie Anne's help to manage it."

Though she couldn't deny the truth in her mother's words, Lori felt that Bobby's presence here helped make the game more bearable for her. But before she could dwell anymore on such thoughts, Lori suddenly heard the loud echoes of uproarious laughter coming from outside in the hall. "What's going on out here" she yelled in annoyance, "why are you cackling like a bunch of hyenas?"

While only halfway into costume; Lori made her way out the door and spotted Lana and Lola, rolling around the floor and laughing loudly. "What is going on" she demanded firmly while stomping towards them, "why are you literally laughing like a couple of..." Before she could finish her sentence, Lori took a peek into the room and saw what her sisters were going nuts over.

Inside, standing before her mirror was Luan; wearing what looked like a foam body suit that was shaped like a turtle's shell. Her face was painted green, she wore a mouthpiece over her lips (which resembled a turtle's beak) and sported some hand and footwear that resembled turtles paws. However, her gloves were actually a pair of latex monster gloves.

Such a choice for her costume would provide Luan the ability to use her fingers for any instrument playing she might do. Regardless; in the end, Luan believed that she looked _and _felt ridiculous in this look. "Don't look so glum, Sis" Lana said while trying to suppress a snicker, "you might have a..._shell _of a time tonight."

The moment this was said, a rare phenomenon occurred; not only did Luan _not_ find the pun amusing. But for the first time in..._ever_, Lori actually found a pun hilarious. "Couldn't they find something more..._my size_" the young comedienne grumbled, "this shell is heavy on my back."

Seeing this as a genuine concern, Lori decided to make a quick trip to the costume room. When she returned, minutes later, she had in her arms another Tortle body suit. But unlike the one Luan was currently wearing, the shell of _this _suit was half the size; which the costume makers claimed was "the approximate size of a female Tortle's shell."

"As long as it isn't heavier than me, I don't care" Luan said bluntly, "now...help me outta this, please?!" After that request, Lori hurried over and tried her best to help free her sister from her current outfit...but to no avail. Seeing that their eldest sibling wasn't doing well on her own, Lana and Lola hurried over and took hold of the suits collar.

The girls tugged and pulled at the suit with all their strength, while Luan did all _she_ could to push herself out the other end. They pushed and pulled, pulled and pushed for what felt like ages until finally...Luan managed to pop out. Sadly; she popped out so quickly, she was sent flying across the room like a bullet.

This resulted in Luan slamming hard against the wall. Coincidentally, the same thing happened with her three other sisters. Thankfully, not one among them was hurt...but they were still quite dizzy from the collision.

(Line Break)

After recovering from Luan's brief...wardrobe malfunction, ten minutes later; the girls hurried off to the game room, where they saw everyone eying them impatiently. "Heh...Sorry, everybody" Luan chuckled nervously, "had a little trouble...coming out of my shell earlier...get it?" Surprisingly, no one at the table groaned at her little pun.

Furthermore, a few of them admitted to having the same problem themselves; when _they _played Tortles. "Sorry the first suit was too large for you, dear" Mrs. Johnson said in her Agathe voice, "now...are you ladies ready to play again?" Though every other instinct in their brains told them to do otherwise, the small group of Loud Sisters nodded in reply and took their seats.

This prompted everyone else to do the same, including the Council of Game Masters. "Welcome, everyone to this week's session" Lynn greeted in his Acheron voice, "are we ready to resume the quest?" Without a moment's pause, almost everyone at the table responded with a loud and hearty "YES!"

But before they decided to begin; Benny, while speaking as his Caden Silvertongue voice, asked for Bojan to bring a round of Fairy Ale for the table. "I'll be right with ya, chief...er, I mean, milord" Flip said while trying to stay in character, "but I must attend to my ovens first to ensure all our meats for tonight's meal is well-cooked" This response seemed to please the Council and they urged him to take his time before serving them.

This gave everyone at the table the chance to continue the story from where they last left off. "With the aid of Queen Arcaena's map; you and your party, Lady Ventris, travel along the path for almost three days" Lynn Sr. explained in his Acheron voice, "as the sun sets on the fourth, you discover that your provisions are halfway empty." At first, Lola was ready to blame Lana (or Ezra) for eating away at their supplies.

But the council was quick to point out that due to there being four of them (five counting Lupa/Lily,) it made sense that the food went so quickly. "After taking another look at the map, you discover that you have yet to reach the town labeled on the path" Rita said in her Eliana voice, "which means that would have to possibly make camp again." This news did not seem very pleasing to Lola; who proclaimed that, even though it was only in the game, she'd prefer walking over camping out in the woods.

"Well, unless one of you wishes to go off hunting; making camp seems like your best option" Mrs. Johnson said in her Agathe voice, "and considering one of your party members is a druid, I don't foresee that happening." With all this information presented, Lori and her group realized making camp _was_ the best thing they could do for the moment and decided upon that. "Very good...your party finds a small open space near the path to make camp" Lynn explained as Acheron, "after setting up, one of you is tasked with being the lookout while the rest of the party slumbers for a spell."

In an instant, Lucy offers to be the lookout; proclaiming that she always enjoyed the twilight hours of the day (in rather typical Goth fashion.) "What say the rest of you" inquired Lynn Sr., "do you approve of Shadow taking up the first watch?" For a moment or so, Lori and the twins remained silent; mostly due to the fact they didn't know what to say.

But after a while, they realized that this _did_ sound like a good idea and agreed to it. "After gaining consent from your comrades, Shadow; you assume your role as the lookout while they rest" Rita said in her Eliana voice, "for much of the night, all seems quiet." This bit of news sounded pleasing to both Lori and Lana.

After having narrowly escaped an Owlbear attack and facing off against a crazy Dark Elf Warlock, they weren't quite ready for another battle. "All is quiet for an hour or so" Game Mistress Eliana explained, "but you, Shadow...something inside tells you there is a strange presence in the air." Feeling both intrigued yet...slightly afraid at the same time, Lucy decides to detect where the "strange presence" is coming from.

"At this time, dear; I'd like for you to make a Perception Check" Mrs. Johnson said in her normal voice, "to remind you; this move will help you see, smell, hear or (if you are using magic) detect any odd phenomenon around you." Lucy thanked her for the information, took hold of the dice and began to shake it vigorously. After tossing it at the table, she saw it land on its side; showing off the number "15."

"A very good roll, young Kenku" Rita murmured in her Eliana voice, "what would you like to do on your turn." After taking a moment to think, Lucy decided to sniff at the air; thinking there might be clues about the "odd presence" in the atmosphere her father spoke of. "As you sniff about, the faint scent of smoke fills your nostrils" Huggins explained in his Fastred voice, "but due to your roll...you immediately believe that it's probably the smoke from your doused campfire."

Upon hearing all this; Lori, Lana and Lola asked if any of _them_ could smell this smoke (even though they were sleeping still.) "To know the answer, you will each need to make a Perception Check Roll" Pop-Pop said in his normal voice, "maybe, one of _yours_ will be high enough to smell the aroma." With that, the girls took hold of their respective die and began to shake them.

But before they did, Lily let out a few soft wolf barks; as if to say _she_ wanted to roll as well. "Of course, sweetie" Rita cried out in realization, "we're so sorry we almost forgot about you." With a soft smile on her face, Lily sighed and babbled a small amount of gibberish; which was _her_ way of saying "I'm kinda used to it" in baby language.

Of course, everyone made sure to have someone (namely Lori) roll the die for her. If Lily got a hold of it, she might feel tempted to stick them in her mouth and no one wanted that. "Alright, everyone" Lynn said in his normal voice, "you may each make your rolls...now!"

With that signal, everyone took hold of their dice and shook them vigorously. Of course; with Lori, she had to make an extra roll for Lily's sake. At first, she thought this idea would be met with some disagreement.

"But then; she was reminded how a similar roll was made last weekend, during the battle with the Owlbears. Regardless, everyone made their rolls and crossed their fingers tight; hoping to get big numbers. "Okay, ladies; here we go" Mrs. Johnson said in her normal voice, "Ventris gains an...18, Ezra and Ursa got a...19 and...Lupa got a Nat 20!"

This news caused the whole table to cheer, while Lily just giggled and howled like a wolf. Though she didn't quite understand why everyone was so happy; to her, seeing everyone cheer just felt so fun. "It's also worth noting that, due to Ventris' keen elf senses, she gains a plus two Proficiency Bonus" Huggins said in his Fastred voice, "which adds her roll up to...twenty-one!"

In spite of herself, Lori couldn't help but feel proud of achieving such a dice roll. After taking the time to celebrate this small success, the Council explained that while Lucy's character thought the smoke smell seemed like nothing; it felt a lot stronger for the others. "Furthermore...with Lily's natural 20, her sensitive nose tells her that the aroma is coming from somewhere close by" Huggins explained, "what would you like to do, little lady?"

Though she only understood a little of what the principal just said, Lily answered his question with a series of small yips and some sniffing sounds. While everyone thought this was adorable (which it was;) at the same time, they knew this was her way of trying to "communicate" with them. "I do believe my baby sister wishes to...'sniff out' the source of the smoke as it were" Lisa interjected, "which seems like a logical course of action."

After giving the idea some thought, Lori and the twins agreed to it and decided to allow Lily to act as their tracker. "After rousing yourselves from your slumber, you all follow Lupa through the forest; all while sniffing at the air ahead of you" Lynn Sr. explained in his Game Master voice, "as you draw closer...Shadow notices that her companions ears are twitching slightly." From here, he added that Ventris could hear the faint sound of voices coming from somewhere close.

"Uh-oh...this could mean bandits might be hiding out somewhere" Lana murmured worriedly, "we should get our weapons ready." Her sisters couldn't help but agree in the idea and decided to investigate the noises, all while arming themselves accordingly. "With your weapons in hand, you trudge deeper into the woods" Rita said in her Eliana voice, "in time, the voices sound a tad louder and you also hear sounds of music playing."

After hearing mentions of music, the girls' fears of there being anything dangerous in the woods didn't feel quite as strong. However, they were reminded that the singing _could _be coming from a group of bandits in the woods. "If that's the case, we should have our weapons and magic ready" Lucy murmured, "just to be on the safe side."

Everyone applauded the young Goth on her careful planning, even her sisters. At the same time, though; Lori still hoped that they wouldn't be subjected to another battle. "With your weapons/magic at the ready, you move in closer" Rita explained in her Eliana voice, "then, you catch sight of a campfire burning in the middle of an open glade."

Before continuing, the Loud Sisters looked around the table and saw several other players giggling and squealing softly with excitement. While the Council equally shared their anticipation, they calmly told the aforementioned group to remain silent and patient for just a bit longer. "OOOOkay...this is getting weird, dudes" Luna murmured, "what's got everybody so giddy all the sudden?"

As if sensing her confusion, Sam and Simon smiled over at her and said only two words; "you'll see." "Moving on...I'm going to ask you girls to make a quick Perception Check for us" Huggins said in his Fastred voice, "see what you can find out about the group surrounding the campfire." Without hesitation, the girls took hold of their die (even Lily) and shook them.

Surprisingly enough, each of them rolled rather high numbers; Lori gained a 22, Lucy gained an 18, Lana gained a 19 and both Lana and Lily received natural 20s. "Very impressive rolls, girls" Mrs. Johnson said in her Agathe voice, "with them, you are able to see that the group contains two humans...and several other creatures." From here; the Council revealed that a Satyr, a Tiefling and a Tortle were sitting alongside the two humans at the campsite.

"You also notice a wagon stationed near the camp" Rita stated, "inside, you see a wide variety of musical instruments." Upon hearing this, Leni immediately assumed that the group must be a band of some kind. "Actually...you're not too far off on your assumption, young lady" Huggins said in his normal voice, "but this band is actually a band of bards; which are a type of musician/entertainment group."

With this description, some of the Loud Sisters started questioning why musicians were in a game filled with magic and monsters. "Don't underestimate the necessity of bards, luvs" Chunk blurted out suddenly, "not only are they essential to help lighten the mood of an adventure...they also have unique powers." Despite however cool the idea sounded, a musician with magical powers; even Luna couldn't help but call "shenanigans" to it.

"Just look at your abilities on your sheet, Lunes" Sam insisted, "it's all the proof you'll need." Choosing to give her GF the benefit of a doubt, Luna looked down at the abilities spot on her character sheet. Among these was Bardic Inspiration, Song of Rest, mesmerizing their opponents and a Seduction Ballad.

"That last one is particularly handy" Simon stated, "if you're being attacked, you could use it to hypnotize your enemy into loving you." Understandably, Luna questioned how using magic to make enemies fall in love with you was a _good_ thing. "You'll understand well enough when the time comes, babe" Sam giggled while kissing Luna's cheek, "for now, we've got a game to play."

With that said, the time came for the Council to continue on with the story. "As Ventris and her company look upon the group at the campsite, Ezra notices a dragon sitting beside one of them" Lynn described in his Acheron voice, "granted...he's but a wee hatchling but still a dragon, nonetheless." From here, he added that the hatchling manages to catch a whiff of the twins' scent and starts growling softly.

"Upon hearing her companion, the Tiefling believes he has sensed danger somewhere and decides to investigate" Lynn described in his normal voice, "what will you ladies do next?" At first, Lola considered the idea of attacking the Tiefling; thinking her or her dragon might try to hurt _her_ group first. "Even with their supposed magical abilities, what could some musicians possibly do to us" questioned Lori, "are they going to put us to sleep?"

While there was some truth in her sister's words, Lola quickly pointed out that she was more worried about the dragon than the Tiefling. "It may be a baby...but I'll bet it still bites pretty hard" she stated, "not to mention that even the smallest spark of fire it makes could be a problem." After taking her words in for consideration; Lori, Lucy and Lana understood her point.

However, they weren't entirely sure that the group of musicians was that dangerous. So, they still believed that attacking them wouldn't be a good idea. "I suggest we hide, then" Lucy murmured, "either me or Lori should perform some sort of 'Cloaking Spell' over our group."

Surprisingly, everyone in Lucy's group thought her idea sounded pretty good. However, the Council was quick to point out that using such a spell over a group of five would require a high roll. "No pressure or anything, girls" Rita stated, "just be careful with your rolls."

After this was said, Lori and Lucy took their die in hand; hoping fate would give them each a high roll. They shook and rattled the small objects in their hands several times; all while chanting "show me something good" in their heads. Then, they sent them flying halfway along the table.

"Okay...first, we'll start with Lori's roll" Pop-Pop stated, "and it looks like she got a...17." This announcement caused Lori to heave a sigh of relief, thinking that she might be safe. But then; when the time came to announce Lucy's roll, the Council announced that she got a 21.

"You also receive plus two Proficiency Bonuses to your spells" Rita reminded, "which makes Lori's roll add up to...19 and Lucy gains a 23." This bit of news seemed to please the girls; but then, as Simon slowly moved his game piece towards their hiding spot on the board...Lily started barking loudly. "Uh-oh...that is not good" Principal Huggins murmured, "even though you are invisible now, outsiders can _still_ hear any sounds you make."

This news was met with a combination of disgruntled groans and soft hisses of displeasure. Of course, none of the girls could fully blame Lily for what she did. She was only being protective of her mistress, like any animal companion would.

"These noises not only startle the Tiefling's dragon, they also alarm the rest of the campsite group" Rita announced, "they soon start calling out to you...asking if you are friend or foe." Realizing that their cover had been...unintentionally blown, the girls decided to reveal themselves. It was here that Lori did her best to get herself into character for the scene.

"Ahem...Stay your hands, strangers" she said dramatically, "we lit...I mean, we mean you no harm." After taking a moment to shake off the odd feeling she had from saying such words, Lori waited for someone else to speak up. It was here that her father said that one of the campers started to approach her, someone named Caden Silver-Tongue.

"Okay...first of all, what kinda name is 'Silver-Tongue'" questioned Lynn Jr., "second of all, which of you guys is that?" Without further delay, Benny rose from his seat and strummed a quick tune from his lute; capturing the interest of all the Loud Sisters (Luan especially.) "Fair greetings to you, Madam Elf" he said in a suave voice, "I am Caden Silver Tongue, leader of this small band of minstrels and jesters."

With this announcement, the Council offered the floor to Benny; allowing him and his associates to introduce their characters to the girls. "I shall start first" Sam murmured elegantly, "I am Lyra Golden-Mane, a Tiefling from the shores of Bael Turath." Sam went on to say that her father fell in love with a human female, long ago who was an accomplished musician.

"Despite being a half-demon, neither my father's appearance nor his heritage seemed to alarm my mother" Sam explained, "in time, they were married and later; they had a child...me." Soon after this, Sam began to explain Simon's character to everyone; whom she dubbed as her "familiar." "So, Simon's character is a lot like Lori's" Lucy murmured, "he's your own spirit beast companion."

In spite of this explanation, the rest of Lori's group and even Luna were confused as to how Sam gained a familiar. "Those things are mostly used by wizards and stuff, right" inquired Lana, "so...how could a bard have one?" With a soft giggle, Sam revealed that her character had _two _classes; a bard _and _a mage.

"By combining both skills, my character can bring literal magic to her music" Sam stated, "I'm talkin' sleep spells, seduction ballads, healing songs; the works." Realizing she was getting off-track, Sam quickly got back into character and resumed her explanation on how she obtained her dragon; Xenos. "Long ago, I learned a rather unique secret from my father" Sam explained in a regal voice, "when a young mage comes of age or when their power has grown to a certain level, they are soon met by their Spirit Best."

The whole time she spoke, Luna found herself feeling utterly mesmerized. Sam's look and how she spoke were entrancing enough. But the way Sam did all this with such confidence was so inspiring, it felt as though Luna was looking at a completely different woman.

At the same time, Luan was lost in her own lovestruck thoughts; when Benny's turn to speak came. "I hail from a humble corner of Waterdeep, near the illustrious Bard College of New Olamn" he began, "as a beloved entertainer of the court, I was fortunate enough to earn a place at the school; hoping to hone my own bardic abilities." As a demonstration, Benny brought out his lute and proceeded to play a sample of the traditional medieval melody; Greensleeves.

Naturally, this utterly amazed and bewitched Luan; whose face now bore a silly squiggly grin. But as she felt herself ascending higher up on Cloud 9, Luan was quickly brought back down to earth by her parents clearing their throats. "Sweetie...I believe it's _your_ turn to speak now" Rita giggled softly, "what can you tell us about _your_ character."

For a moment or two; Luan sat in silence, trying her best to think up a good story for her character. Her first thought was to keep her intro short and casual, like how she would greet new friends. But then, Benny called for her attention and decided to offer her some advice.

"Don't be nervous, hon" he said encouragingly, "just imagine that you're giving a monologue...like when you first auditioned for the school play back in March." After she let the idea sink in; Luan took a few deep breaths, cleared her throat and began her character monologue. "Hail and well-met, travelers" she began, "I am Mituna Tengo, a roving Tortle bard."

From here, Luan described her character as a calm yet often jubilant soul, which seemed contradictory of her real world self. Unlike most of her species, Mituna was smaller (in terms of her build) and many thought she wouldn't survive long out in the world. "Most of my species are known to be six feet in height with rather thick shells" Luan stated, "but as you can see, I am...quite small by comparison."

The description of her character's appearance seemed to satisfy most of the other players. But the rest of them wished to know Mituna on a deeper level. "We understand that your character is...as you described, 'a calm yet jubilant soul'" Mrs. Johnson said in her Agathe voice, "but what do you mean by that, exactly?"

After taking a moment to think her idea over; Luan explained that in a way, Mituna was a bit like her. "When she was young, Mituna had a habit of being quite silly and rambunctious" she explained, "she would seek out any opportunity to play a trick on others...which was ultimately got her into trouble with the Elders." This story left Luan's family completely dumbstruck, thinking that it sounded near identical to her own life.

After a moment's pause, Rita asked how Mituna came to join Caden's small group of bards. "After causing a little too much mischief amongst her people, the Elders of Mituna's tribe sent her out into the world" Luan explained, "she wasn't banished...just sent away to learn about proper control." At this point in her story, Luan explained how her character wandered about the land; trying to earn money with whatever skills she had just to get by.

"Alas, anyone who heard Mituna's jests felt they sounded too juvenile or...too course for their liking" she stated, "for all the little ones here, when something's 'too course...' it means her jokes sounded a little gross." This statement caused the Loud Sisters to shudder; mostly because Luan had yet again, made her character's backstory eerily similar to her own real world self. Of course; when this was brought to the attention of the Council, they said it was perfectly fine.

"Any and all players are welcome to add some of their own traits to their characters" Lynn Sr. stated, "as long as they aren't making 'carbon copy versions' of themselves." Upon hearing this explanation, Luan made a note of the idea and continued on with her intro. "In spite of the critics, Mituna continued doing what she loved" she explained, "that's when she caught the attention of Caden, who offered her to join his caravan of performers."

It was at this point where Lori and her sisters got very confused. How could Caden/Benny's group be considered a "caravan," when there were only four members of their troupe? "The answer is simple, Lady Elf" Benny said in his character voice, "while traveling with the rest of our fellow performers, there was a storm and we got separated from them."

He then went on to describe the sight of "strange red storm clouds" that appeared overhead on that day. "The lightning sparked and cracked in such a way I'd never seen before" Benny stated, "it was as if the clouds were...alive, somehow." After letting all this sink in (and shaking off the "ooglies" that shivered through their bodies,) Lori and her group huddled up and began to whisper among themselves.

"This sounds like all the other stuff that happened in each of _our_ homes in the game" Lana murmured, "you think that Bloodstone Keep place has anything to do with it?" After giving the idea some thought, Lucy deduced that their situations _could_ be connected. That being said, she felt they still needed to learn a little more about this band.

"What about Luna" Lucy murmured, "what can she tell us about her own character." In that moment, the young rocker experienced something she rarely ever felt; stage fright. Yes, she _did_ experience this once or twice before...but it mostly happened when she was performing in front of people.

This time, however; Luna was playing a game alongside family and friends. So, why then was she feeling so tongue-tied all of the sudden. As she stood there like a deer caught in the headlights; Luna's brow started to sweat, her mouth went dry, her hands started shaking and she started giving out short, raspy gasps for air.

Then, just as the young pixie-cut rocker found herself on the verge of a breakdown; she suddenly felt someone's hand grip _hers_ tightly. After briefly snapping out of her daze, Luna looked over and saw that it was Sam holding her by the hand. "It's okay, Lunes; you're among friends here" she whispered reassuringly, "just remember what we rehearsed two days ago at Ruth's house."

The other Loud Sisters were quite surprised by this revelation, proclaiming that they weren't told they could "rehearse" for the game. "Of course you can, sweeties" Albert stated, "before every session, players try to get together outside of the 'castle' and either discuss future strategies or rehearse lines of dialogue they might want to use." After letting her grandfather's words sink in, Lisa made a note to try and utilize it during the rest of the week.

Meanwhile, Luna did her best to get calm again and think back to what she thought up for her character during rehearsal. She breathed calmly through her nose three times over and after the third, she closed her eyes and mentally recited a short yet simple mantra to herself; _"don't fret...just play your set."_ With that thought in mind, she picked up a nearby mandolin and gave it a soft strum.

This in turn, seemed to help completely relax Luna's mind and she was now ready to continue. "Merry and good day to you, noble maids" she said elegantly, adjusting her cockney accent into a more refined one; "I am known as Yoko Spring-Stepper, I am proficient in both musical and acrobatic skills; when entertaining the public." It took all the restraint the other Loud sisters had to not laugh at Luna's character description.

As if sensing this, Mrs. Johnson said that not only could players add some of their own traits to their characters. She also added that everyone's characters weren't held back by any of their real world limits. "In other words, even if you're not acrobatically skilled outside of the game; within it, anything is possible" Lincoln said suddenly, "just as long as you have a good enough dice roll."

With that out of the way, Luna resumed giving her character intro; which included her explaining her musical abilities. "Like Master Caden; I, too received lessons at New Olamn" she stated, "she grew to love playing all manner of instruments...but her favorites are the stringed sort." It didn't take long for everyone to realize that "stringed sort" was Luna's term for stringed instruments.

Harps, mandolins, sitars, lutes; Yoko, as Luna described her, simply loved the sounds of them all. "But as much as she loved music, she also loved the physical skills her fellow students exhibited" Luna stated, "she spent many a year learning numerous acrobatic and endurance skills to entertain the populace." At this point, Luna asked the Council if she could give a short demonstration of her character's skills.

"It shall be so, child" Lynn said in his Acheron voice, "what sort of skill do you wish to perform?" After giving the idea some thought, Luna decided to have her character perform a few simple back-flips; just to give Lori's group a sample of her skills. "You're gonna have to roll an Acrobatics Check for that one, Lunes" Sam stated, "good luck, luv."

For a moment or two, Luna sat in silence; her face softly glowing with a red blush. But when she saw everyone staring at her, she quickly snapped back to her senses and took hold of her dice. However, instead of using one die; she was given three (to help properly level each backflip.)

"Even if _one_ roll fails, you could still do well with the others" Lincoln said reassuringly, "so...good luck." Once more, Luna took in some breaths and recited her mantra in her head to help ease her nerves. Then, for about ten seconds; she shook and rattled the dice between her hands like mad.

Before letting them roll, Sam quickly interjected and asked if she would be allowed to help Luna; in case she fell during one of her flips. "I suppose we can allow that" Mrs. Johnson murmured, "but let us see what Luna rolls first." After that, Luna let out one final exhale and threw the dice forward.

Once she let them fly, she nibbled at her nails worriedly; hoping that she'd get at least _one_ successful roll. After letting them fly; Luna crossed her fingers so tightly, they almost looked like lanyards. Finally, the three die ceased rolling and the Council gave each of them a close look.

"Your rolls are...20, 22 and 17" Huggins murmured, "which means two out of three of your flips happen successfully." From here; he said that after landing on the third flip, Yoko suddenly stumbles backwards and almost landed atop the fire (rear first.) "But at the near last second, Lyra Golden-Mane snatches you by your waist and stops you from falling" Rita said slyly in her Eliana voice, "well done young Tiefling."

Despite however "dorky" it made her look, Sam couldn't help but bow in thanks at Mrs. Loud's praise. Meanwhile, after hearing her mother's statement; Luna's imagination suddenly kicked in and started picturing Sam's Tiefling tail coiled around her waist. If Luna's earlier blushing wasn't noticeable before, it certainly was now.

As expected, several other players giggled at this; including Sam and Simon. But as Luna listened more closely, she could hear them saying things like "adorable" or "she's crushin' hard." Part of her didn't really mind all this...but another part of her felt her feelings might make the game even more awkward for her.

That's when Chunk appeared beside Luna and decided to give her a friendly reminder. "Remember what happened between your sister and _her_ mate" he whispered, "who's to say that you and Sammy can't have the same thing?" Luna gasped softly under her breath, suddenly remembering how mildly flirty Bobby's character was behaving towards Lori last time.

However, she still desired a second opinion and decided to ask the Council if this was allowed. "Of course it is, honey" Lynn said in his normal voice, "in fact, romance is a good story tool for a game like this...just make sure that whatever happens in the game won't affect your real world relationship." Upon hearing this news, Sam couldn't help but giggle excitedly; while Luna found herself feeling rather nervous.

Then, after realizing that they were getting off-track; Sam cleared her throat and reassumed her role. But not before smiling at Luna and giving her a soft wink. "Now, where were we" murmured Huggins, "oh, yes...Lyra had just saved Yoko from almost falling into the fire." From here, the Council explained that Lori and her group found her skills to be quite impressive; despite the earlier slip.

"Okay...I look over at Caden and tell him that something about his story seemed familiar to me" Lori stated, "I tell him 'the storm that caused your band to break away from your caravan...they seem identical to the sort _I _saw over my village." Benny, Luan, Sam and Simon all gasp in unison; trying to sound shocked by this news. "You've seen this happen before, Madam Elf" Benny asked dramatically, "then...you must know of the cause, what can you tell us?"

After taking a moment to search through her memory, Lori explained that both their situations may have been connected to the Bloodstone Keep. "What...no one's heard anything from that old place in ages" Sam said in her Yoko voice, "who or what could possibly be there that would be the cause of such odd scenarios?" Lori shook her head, saying that no one in _her_ group knew the answer.

"We had just left the Elf land of Lemerius, where the queen gave us a map that would take us there" Lana said while trying to sound like Ezra, "she told us to stop off at a small town somewhere and then, we'd need to go east to a place called...Olwen or something." Upon hearing this news, Benny started laughing uproariously; which seemed to confuse little Lily.

"How fortuitous" he proclaimed happily, "our caravan was heading down that way, before we got separated." He then explained that once they arrived into town, the first thing they would do is help gain Ventris and her party proper transport to Olwen. "Thank you very much, Sir for your kindness" Lori said while trying to get in character, "how may we repay you for your help?"

Without a moment's pause, Luan chimed in (as Mituna) and asked if a member from Lori's group could share a jest with Benny's. "We really should've seen this coming" Lucy grumbled, "but...I suppose one of us could share at least _one_ joke." No sooner had she said this, the rest of the table agreed to the idea as well and beckoned the group to share jest.

But unfortunately, none of them could seem to think of any such jokes; least of all, not the kind Luan was known for. But then, Lana started bouncing in her seat while waving her arm frantically; urging for someone to call on her. "Okay, sweetie, calm down" Rita said with a light giggle, "if you've got a joke, show us."

For about a minute, Lana racked her brain hard; desperate to try and think of any kind of funny joke. Then, she remembered coming across one on the first day she got dressed up in costume. With this in mind, she decided to share it with everyone else; hoping they might like it.

"Alright then...(ahem) one summer day, I spotted a satyr and a goat crossing my path" she began "I gave a whistle and exclaimed 'you there, put that mangy thing on a leash!'" Against their better judgment, both Benny and Lori's groups asked what the response was. "Much to my surprise; it was the _goat_ that spoke to me, afterward" Lana blurted out, "he looked my way and cried out 'I tried to do it...but the blasted creature wouldn't take to it!'"

Soon after this jest was said, all appeared silent; which made Lana feel rather self-conscious. Then, all of the sudden; a soft giggle rang out from the table. Everyone's heads turned around suddenly to discover Haiku, in her seat and doing everything she could to keep the laughter in.

Not long after that, Liam started laughing as well and even Lana did. Before long, the whole table broke out into a soft fit of laughter. "H-H-Hey, Lana; that was pretty good" Pop-Pop chuckled, "seems like a little bit of Luan's comedic side's been rubbin' off on ya."

Luan couldn't help but blush bashfully at her grandfather's compliment. At the same time, she made a mental note to write the joke down; thinking she could use it at a future gig. Meanwhile; Benny, Sam and Simon were rolling about their chairs in laughter.

In time, everyone calmed down enough to continue the game; which involved Lori's group camping out alongside Benny's for the rest of that night. "By sunrise, you have gathered your belongings and continue your way along the path" Lynn explained in his Acheron voice, "this path then takes you up a small hill." From here; Lynn proclaimed that from this vantage point, they could see a small village down below.

"Perfect" cried Lucy with mild joy, "hopefully, there's someone there who could tell us where we need to go next." The moment she said this, the Council looked over her way with ominous looks in their eyes; which made the wee Goth's body quiver a little. "Perhaps, this place may hold the answers you seek, young Kenku" Mrs. Johnson said in her Agathe voice, "but take heed, who knows what secrets lie within this supposedly tranquil place."

After letting all this sink in, Lucy couldn't help but think that whatever lie in wait within the village would make the Owlbear encounter feel like playing with puppies.

(First AN: Aaaand I think _that's_ a good spot to put a cliffhanger in. What sort of secrets could this mystery town hold for our heroines? Will they encounter more monsters, will their characters be able to survive and more importantly, how many more Loud Sisters will find themselves under the game's "spell?" Find out the answers to these questions and more, as the campaign continues)

(Second AN: Some of you may not enjoy the fact that the whole chapter took place within the real world. This was because I wished to show Luna and Luan's slow descent into becoming "one of the nerds;" something some of you have been waiting to see for quite a while. Rest assured, the next chapter will immediately start off in the game's world exactly where _this_ one ended.  
Just thought I'd clear that up, thanks for understanding)

(Third AN: The names of Waterdeep, Bael Turath and New Olamn that Benny's group mentioned are all real world locations from the D&D world. Waterdeep is perhaps, one of the game's most famous locations. While most of the fic's settings are all original creations by the Council of Game Masters and/or the other players, I wanted to add some familiar names into the mix)

(Fourth AN: Due to Tortle shells appearing rather big within the game's illustrations and Luan not exactly having the proper body build to wear one, I decided to make it so that female Tortles have smaller shells compared to the males. If this is wrong, I am sorry; if not, I'm happy I took a shot in the dark and it worked)

(Final AN: I'm sorry if Luna or Luan seemed a little too goofy around their lovers or if Benny and Sam seemed too flirty. I wanted to make them perform gestures towards the girls that were just the right amount of romantic. The next chapter may include some moments between them...but don't quote me on that)


	13. Chapter Eleven: The City of Maravillosa

The City of Maravillosa

(The Game World)

With the troupe of bards as their escorts, the party made their way towards the village. However, as they drew close to the main gate; a pair of guards crossed their spears and blocked their way. "So sorry for impeding on you, strangers" one guard said in an oddly pleasant tone, "but all newcomers must be properly evaluated before being granted entry."

At first, Ventris and her comrades mistook this as a sign of a threat and were prepared to defend themselves. But then, Mituna called for their attention and assured them that there was nothing to worry about. "This is a common practice whenever we visit new cities or towns, you see" she explained, "upon our arrival, Master Caden shows the guard or whomever is on lookout the proper paperwork; as proof of our status as roving entertainers."

Upon mentioning this, all eyes turned towards Caden; who withdrew a scroll from his tunic and showed it to the guard. "Our services have been requested by the master of your humble community" the young bard stated, "if you desire proof, simply call upon him and he will tell you himself." Straightaway, one of the two guards snatched the scroll out of Caden's hand and began to read it in silence.

Then, after a short while; the guard rolled the scroll back up and handed it back over to Caden. "Everything seems to be in order, Sirrah" both soldiers said in the same oddly pleasant tone of voice, "welcome to Maravillosa, the most joyous city in the realm." With that said, the second guard wasted no time in opening the gate for the troupe.

Meanwhile, Ventris and her compatriots couldn't help but think that there was something...oddly suspicious about how the men behaved. Then, just before they closed the gate; one of the guards raised the visor of his helmet and turned towards the troupe. As everyone took a look at the man's face, they felt an icy chill run up their spines.

His eyes were as wide as dinner plates, his toothy grin stretched wide across his face and while the aforementioned expression gave him the look of happiness; to some members among the party, something about it didn't quite feel...natural. Normally, greeting others with a smile was a sign of respect and/or kindness. But there was something about the guard's Cheshire Cat-like grin that just felt off.

"Please, do enjoy your stay here" he said calmly, "and try and stay out of trouble." With that said, the guards closed the gate and everyone made their way into the city. "Alright...I know we're all probably thinking of it; so, I may as well say it" Ezra murmured, "I don't quite trust that guard.

No sooner had he said this; his sister, Ursa soon echoed the same concerns. "There was something about that fellow's smile that simply made my tail frizz up" she hissed softly with displeasure, "have a look for yourselves." Without pause, she eased her tail passed her right side; showing every follicle on it standing on end.

But in spite of this evidence, Caden insisted that there was nothing to be alarmed about. "When you've traveled about as much as _we_ have; you may come across a few towns or cities that may appear strange, at first glance" he said with a hearty chuckle, "there was one time where we performed for a city of wizards...anytime one of us attempted to do a magic trick, they'd jeer at us." Upon hearing this, Mituna couldn't help but hide her head slightly in her shell out of shame.

"That happened during my first year as a member of the troupe" she murmured, "thus, I wasn't quite accustomed to such behavior just yet." While some parts of Caden's statement had some truth to them; Ventris, much like Ezra and Ursa, also felt suspicious about the guard's..."friendly demeanor." But just as she was about to voice these concerns, they had all found their way into the main street of Maravillosa.

(The Real World)

Back in the game room of Castle Greyhawk, Lori and a handful of her sisters were taking a mental note on what had just transpired within the game. Much like with their characters; they too, felt that there was something...off about this place. But before any one of them could speak up about it, the Game Masters rose from their seats and began to speak.

"As you come into the city; the five of you, along with your bard compatriots, take note of your surroundings" Lynn Sr. explained in his Game Master Acheron voice, "the city appears clean, the scenery is beautiful and the townsfolk seem...just as oddly welcoming as the guard did from earlier." No sooner had he said this, he gave the signal for his fellow Game Masters and even some of the other players at the table to briefly act like the townspeople; all while putting on the creepiest smiles they could muster.

Chunk: "Welcome!"

Ruth: "Welcome!"

Benny: "Welcome!"

Joey: "Welcome"

Becky: "Welcome"

Chaz: "Welcome"

George: "Welcome"

Jordan + Paige + Lincoln + Clyde (in little kid voices:) "Welcome"

If the girls weren't feeling creeped out earlier; then, they certainly were now. Even though they knew it was all a performance to make the game more immersive, something about how each of their friends greeted them just felt...disturbing. "Are you getting chills, girls" Mrs. Johnson asked in her normal voice, "good...that just means that you're getting into the swing of things."

This bit of news seemed to only make the four other Loud Sisters cringe even harder. Meanwhile, Lily simply babbled and/or barked softly like her wolf character in amusement; appearing unfazed by the nature of the game's situation. Meanwhile, all the players that made up Caden's/Benny's troupe of bards seemed to be acting completely normal.

"'Rawr! I like this place'" Simon said in the voice of his dragon character, Xenos, "'everyone here seems very nice, don't you think?'" Sam, while also in character, ruffled his hair and proclaimed that the town _did _seem like a welcoming place. But at the same time, she hoped that they were as generous as they were friendly.

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you" Lori muttered in her normal tone, "but my group and I literally have places to go." Benny smiled at the eldest Loud sibling and, while still in character, proclaimed that there was someone in the city who could be of some help; Count Fastred. "Count...is he like one of those vampires Lucy loves" Leni inquired, "if so, I hope he's a cute one like Blake Bradley." This question caused quite a few players to groan softly in annoyance.

"Leni, we've talked about this before" Lucy grumbled, "not all vampires are cute like Blake...and not all counts are vampires either!" The Council of Game Masters murmured in agreement with the young lady, explaining that the title of "Count" was used as a title of nobility in medieval history; long before the name Dracula was known to society. "So, like...this Fastred guy rules over the whole town" questioned Lana, "I thought only kings could do that."

With a light yet warm smile upon his face, Principal Huggins explained that other nobles like dukes and counts _did _command authority; just not a large amount like kings do. "Counts are...mostly in charge of a small community or county" Mrs. Johnson added, "think of them as like a...a medieval version of a mayor." The Loud Sisters (mostly those who weren't playing yet) nodded and murmured softly in understanding, after hearing this information.

With that factoid out of the way, everyone reassumed their character roles and got back to playing. "You look around you and take notice of all the people's smiling faces" Mrs. Johnson said in her Agathe voice, "and just like with the guard from earlier, Ezra; your tail starts to frizz terribly with distress." Upon hearing all this, Lana suddenly shivered with fright while holding her fake tail in her hands.

As the game's story continued; the Council explained that, despite the overall...peculiar nature of the townsfolk, Maravillosa looked quite lovely. "The buildings, for those of us who have an eye for architecture, resemble something of a mix between a Romanesque and Gothic style" Rita explained, "every building, every steeple, every tower...even the bricks that make up the road you are walking on is made by the finest of the city's architects; all of it simply gleamed 'perfection.'" Once everyone was able to process her description, Lori and her younger sisters all thought the same thing; that the people of Maravillosa were sticklers towards detail.

"I'm all for style...me being a comic artist and all" Lincoln murmured softly, "but something about the town's description feels...overkill." Luna and Lori couldn't help but agree with their brother, while also thinking that whoever Count Fastred was must be a sort of "neat freak." "Mayhaps, child; your assumption is more valid than you think" Pop-Pop said in his Karuk voice, "but first, we will have to meet him."

(The Game World)

For what felt like ages, the party walked down the main road of Maravillosa; having no other option than to take in their surroundings. Upon doing so, Ventris and her compatriots felt a sudden chill of uneasiness wash over them. While the townsfolk did appear welcoming and the architecture of their city looked equally awe-inspiring; at the same time, it all appeared just a little...too perfect.

Every structure was coated in the same colors of silver and gold. There was little to no signs of imperfections upon the path which they were walking on and the smiles on the people's faces didn't quite sit right with Ventris or her comrades. Eventually; one of the bards, a miss Yoko Spring-Stepper, took notice of their uneasy looks and asked if they were alright.

"Forgive us for sounding impertinent, milady" Ursa said with a light bow, "but...from the oddly perfect look of the city to everyone's peculiar smiles, I cannot help but feel a twinge of dread welling up inside of me." After expressing his agreement towards his sister's words, Ezra questioned why no one among the bard troupe felt as troubled by these circumstances. "When you've traveled about the world as much as we have, you've seen your fare share of odd places" Lyra replied, "thus, we've learned to become accustomed to it."

No sooner had she said this; one of the other bards proclaimed that as long as their hosts paid them well, it mattered little how strange their people or customs might be. "I suppose there is no argument there" Ventris murmured uneasily, "but just to be safe...I shall keep my staff close to me at all times." After taking the she-elf's words into consideration, Caden believed there was no harm in that; he even suggested that she could use her magic to perform for the crowd.

"I am a mage, Sir; not some roving magician" Ventris grumbled, "my magic isn't some parlor trick to be wowed at!" At that moment, realization suddenly struck the young she-elf like a fire bolt to the face. While it _was_ true that she was a mage, Ventris was still seen as a novice and still had much to learn.

Thus, Ventris realized Caden's suggestion _would _be an excellent training exercise. "I suppose I could perform one...perhaps, two small spells" she sighed dejectedly, "but you're still squandering my talents!" Not long after this; Shadow, Ezra and Ursa also vowed to not let their guard down during their stay in this place.

In time, they reached the end of the path and found their destination; a large multi-level estate that was painted in the same exact silver and gold colors as the rest of the town. The only things that helped made this structure stand out were the banner flags that hung on the outer walls near the front entrance. On both of them, there was only a single symbol sewn on the center; a strange image of a lone red diamond.

"This must be the Count's abode" said Lyra Golden-Mane, "should one of us give the door a knock?" Before anyone else spoke up, Mituna immediately volunteered; adding that she wished to get to know the count as quickly as possible so that they could begin rehearsals. With that, she casually approached the door and tapped her hand upon it four times.

Of course; due to the overall size of a Tortle's fist, her "light tapping" sounded as though she was slamming a hammer up against it. Before Mituna had the chance to make the fourth knock, the door suddenly swung open; startling her. This resulted in her stumbling backwards off the steps in alarm and falling.

Thankfully, her large shell was able to help break her fall...along with a small patch of the walking path. As the rest of the bard troupe tried to help Mituna back onto her feet, a booming voice suddenly rang out from inside the house. _"Who goes there" _the house's occupant demanded, _"who dares to disturb me in my own home?!"_

Upon hearing this voice; the troupe immediately stood at attention, wishing to appear as "perfect" as possible for their potential client. When the fellow in question finally stepped outside, Ventris took note of everything about his person. He wore a fur trimmed cloak over his back, sported a doublet with long sleeves, a pair of hand-woven breeches, a pair of silver high boots and Ventris also noticed that he had a pair of gloves over his hands.

From the look of his attire, Count Fastred truly looked like a noble man of his status. But the most noticeable thing on Fastred's person was what he wore around his neck; a long golden necklace with a single yet still quite stunning diamond at the center...a red diamond. _"Hmm, how interesting"_ Ventris thought to herself, _"that bauble seems near identical to the one on the banners of his estate."_

Meanwhile, Count Fastred was making his way down the steps; when he caught sight of the broken patch of the walkway. Upon seeing the aforementioned spot, the count let out a soft growl; which made the troupe feel quite nervous. "Your Lordship, this was...this was _my_ doing and I apologize" Mituna exclaimed while gesturing at the damaged spot, "I was startled when you opened the door suddenly and I...I fell off the steps and..."

Before she could continue with her apology, Fastred suddenly raised his hand; causing her to fall silent. Then, he proceeded to say that he was more cross about the loud banging earlier than he was about the broken walkway. "I apologize for that as well" Mituna said humbly, "I sometimes, forget my own strength."

For a moment or two, Fastred didn't respond ; which made everyone feel rather nervous. Then, they noticed him looking at the broken piece of walkway and whimpered softly with distress; wondering if he might be cross with them. Finally, Fastred walked down the steps and began looking over each member of the troupe.

For what felt like ages, everyone feared they would go mad from the silence. Then, Fastred held his hands up high and gave them a swift yet sharp clap. Mere seconds later; a group of servants, possibly Fastred's own, arrived outside and asked what their master needed.

"Send out a call to the cleaning crew down at the square" he said with a snobbish voice, "have them tend to this broken patchwork on the road, if you please." Upon receiving their orders; the servants, much to everyone else's surprise, all bowed in unison and proclaimed "it will be done" before one of them made their way into town. With that matter settled, Fastred approached Caden and offered up a courteous bow.

"Welcome, outsiders to my humble city" he greeted with a posh tone of voice, "I am Count Fastred Silverlance III, the master of this estate; to whom do I have the...pleasure of addressing?" As if on cue, Caden stepped forward and presented his scroll unto the nobleman; which he then began to read. "We were tasked by our benefactors to entertain your people" Caden stated, "I do believe my Lord, King Alfonse sent you word of this long ago...did he not?"

After he took another moment to read the notice over, everyone watched as Count Fastred began staring down at each member of the troupe intently; as if he felt suspicious of them. Then, when he came to Ventris and _her _company; the count's eyes narrowed even tighter. Finally, after giving Caden's notice another look; Count Fastred's expression softened slightly.

"Yes, everything appears to be in order; in terms with the legitimacy of your notice" said the count, "however...I did not expect that the members of your troupe would be so...diverse." Upon hearing the king's words, Yoko stepped forth and offered her defense towards her fellow bards. "As head of our band, Master Caden believes great talent can come from anywhere" she stated, "be it from the skills of humans or other beings of the world."

At first, Count Fastred didn't have much to say; in regards of the young lass' statement. Then, he directed his attention towards Ventris and Company; as he began to look upon _them _tensely. "And what of this lot" questioned Fastred, "are they with you as well...from the look of their garb, they must think they are wizards." As expected; the count's word utterly offended the likes of Ventris, Shadow and Ezra.

But while their vexations were justified; the trio realized they must remain silent about them, for the sake of their new friends. "In truth, Your Lordship; we are not actually members of Caden's Bardic Company" Ventris said with a gracious bow, "my friends and I are on a quest by order of King Acheron of Avalonis and we just happened to cross each other's paths, along the way." Upon hearing the name of King Acheron; Fastred's demeanor swiftly changed from harsh to soft, in the blink of an eye.

"Ah, is this so" he said in astonishment, "where might your quest be leading you, by chance?" Though Ventris herself briefly hesitated in confessing to the lord; Ezra, on the other hand, wasted no time in telling him everything. He spoke of the Bloodstone Keep, of the villainous queen that ruled within it and how she was said to be using an artifact that allowed her to warp the land in whatever way she saw fit.

"Hold your tongue, Brother" Ursa hissed in a soft yet annoyed whisper, "we are in strange lands and thus, we cannot speak of our quest so openly to everyone we meet!" The young Tabaxi druid immediately realized his error and urged the Count to forget what he had just told him. But Fastred simply smiled at everyone and said they had nothing to fear.

"You say that this queen's power has been twisting the land...I'm afraid, my friends; you're sorely mistaken" he said in a snobbish tone, "whatever has happened to the realms beyond this city has yet to reach _us_, you see." Despite however much the man's tone of voice bothered her, Shadow couldn't help but think that he might've been right. All around them; the grass, the landscapes, the animals and even the people did not appear affected by the plight that had ravaged each of _their_ homes.

But before anyone could discuss the matter further, Ventris' company watched as Count Fastred placed his left hand upon his necklace. No sooner had he done that, it started to glow an intensely bright red. The whole time this was happening, Ventris wondered what the jewel was and what the count was doing with it.

(The Real World)

Back at the table, Lori and her four younger sisters found themselves quivering with uneasiness at what had transpired thus far in the game's story. From the creepy smiles of the people, the way everything in town looked so painstakingly flawless and the Count's weird necklace; it was clear some bad mojo was going down. "Okay, I think I'll just say what everyone's literally thinking right now" Lori said suddenly, "something about this Maravillosa place just _screams_ bad vibes!"

No sooner had she said this; Lucy, Lana, Lola, Luna and even little Lily sounded off in agreement with their elder sister's concerns. Meanwhile, everyone else appeared to be smiling at them; not in the creepy way that the Maravillosa people were doing but in a sort of...sly, sneaky way. "Sounds like somebody's getting immersed in the gameplay" Sam giggled playfully, "we told you girls it would happen at some point!"

While the blonde rocker's words held _some _truth to them, the Loud Sisters (mostly Lori and Luna) weren't quite ready to fully admit she was right...not yet, at least. "Okay, maybe I'm getting a little bit into the mood" Luna sighed, "but...if you really want that to happen, brah; I've gotta start getting into my role and showing off some Bard skills." The Council nodded silently in agreement and then, Principal Huggins decided to continue on with the story; both as Game Master _and _his game character.

"If you and your troupe wish to entertain my people, Master Caden, I must first see your skills for myself" he said in his Fastred voice, "if you are musicians...play me something, if you have other skills...show them to me." The first to demonstrate the bard troupe's skills was Luan, who described that her character would be doing a juggling performance; all while balancing on her shell. "Best get your dice ready, then" Pop-Pop said in his normal voice, "'cause you've gotta make a strong Athletics Check _and _Performance Check!"

As expected, Luan asked if she would require a D20 die for both rolls; to which everyone responded with an immediate "yes." "But just make sure to do them one at a time, honey" Lynn Sr. advised, "it'll help us keep track of what numbers you got." Luan nodded in understanding, picked up the first D20 with her Tortle gloves and shook them as best as she could.

After giving it a throw; it spun about for five seconds until it landed on its side, revealing the number "19." Next, it was time for Luan to make her Performance Roll; which she hoped would be a good one. _"C'mon, you shrimpy piece of plastic"_ she thought to herself, _"show me something good!"_

With this thought in mind, Luan gave the dice a toss and crossed her fingers from beneath her gloves. After skipping around for a moment, the dice stopped in place and revealed...A 24! "Those were some very good rolls there, sweetie" Rita said with pride, "with your 19, you manage to stay balanced upon your shell...aside from a brief wobble."

This revelation didn't quite bother Luan, who confessed that she'd seen circus entertainers have a bit of wobbling issues themselves while performing. "As for your 24 Performance/Ability Check; despite your small mishap at the start, your juggling display goes perfectly and amazes Count Fastred." To help drive the point home, Principal Huggins put on the best "shock and awe" face he could make.

Unfortunately, it only made him look like he was having a brain spasm; which caused some of the other players (both young and old) to giggle. "O-Okay...(ahem) The point is, Count Fastred finds Mituna's juggling skills acceptable" Lynn said while trying to hold back some giggles, "next, he asks to hear some music from the musicians among you." As if expecting this; Luna and Sam immediately took out their instruments, while Benny did what he could to prepare his voice.

For their performance, they chose to sing Scarborough Fair; which was often considered a popular folk ballad. In an instant, the other players found themselves utterly entranced by the group's combined musical talents. Benny's surprisingly operatic vocals were astonishing, Luan (while feeling a touch nervous at first) provided some excellent background music with her fife.

As for Luna and Sam's performance; their combined voices harmonized so cleanly, it was as if they were singing in one voice. Needless to say, _everyone _soon found themselves enamored by the song; particularly Principal Huggins. When the song, eventually reached its end; the whole table couldn't help but break out in applause.

"Wow, Sammy! That was awesome" Simon exclaimed with joy, "it actually made me a little sleepy...maybe because all your voices sound so soothing." Sam giggled softly both out of shy humility and flattery, ruffled her brother's hair and thanked him for the compliment. "Thanks to all you guys for the applause" Benny said with a bow, "we appreciate the feedback...but I wonder if Count Fastred will approve?"

Once this was said, all heads quickly turned towards Principal Huggins; who appeared to be on the verge of falling asleep (much like what happened with Simon.) Upon seeing this; Lily, in the spirit of her character, hopped onto the table and gave the loudest wolf howl she could muster. Miraculously, this was just enough to snap Huggins out of his trance.

"Oh my, I am...I'm so sorry, everyone" he murmured apologetically, "that was just...such a good song, your voices all sounded so hypnotic!" Naturally, this compliment caused the entire group to blush softly; which didn't go unnoticed by the others. "Okay, ladies...and Benny" Lola said suddenly, "it was a great performance but don't let it go to your heads."

Upon hearing this, the other Loud Sisters snickered softly at one another; mentally commenting on how Lola of all people was the one urging others to not get full of themselves. "Moving right along...your musical and performance skills have greatly pleased the count" Pop-Pop said suddenly, "as a result, he approves Caden's request to have his troupe perform in Maravillosa." From here, he adds that the city would be holding a celebration two nights hence; one that honored the city's long history of perfection and prosperity.

"Long history...hold on a second here" exclaimed Lana, "just how old _is _the Count guy and how long has the city been around?" At first, the Council of Game Masters wanted to make the reveal right then and there. But they soon realized that the surprise surrounding Maravillosa was too big to spoil so soon.

In the end, both Lynn and Rita shook their heads and told Lana that they couldn't tell her everything...yet. "Well, what about the count dude's necklace" questioned Luna, "am I the only one who thinks it looks oddly similar to the one on the city's flag?" In response to this, Pop-Pop suggested that Lori could perform a Perception Check on Fastred's necklace.

"Yeah...Yeah, that actually sounds like a good plan" the eldest Loud murmured, "there's just one problem, won't the Count notice that I'm doing that kind of thing right away?" Almost immediately, the Council said that Fastred _would _notice something was up...if Lori's character were to use her sorcery during her Perception roll. "But your character has other more natural talents as well, young lady" Mrs. Johnson stated, "Elves are capable of seeing and/or sensing any kind of mystical forces around them, you see."

To explain further; Haiku chimed in and said that an Elf's senses were keener/sharper than those of other creatures. "In short, honey; it's perfectly legal for your character to use her senses on a Perception Roll" Lynn stated, "just make sure you get a big number, otherwise...you'll be outta luck." After letting all the information sink in, Lori took hold of the dice and began to shake it.

_"C'mon 20-Sided Dice" _she thought to herself desperately, _"you were good with _two_ of my sisters earlier, can you show _me _some of that love too?"_ For almost twenty seconds, Lori shook the dice vigorously between her hands; even went as far as to blow on the dice for luck. "Go on and roll the dice, Missy" Mr. Grouse shouted from somewhere at the table, "some of us ain't gettin' any younger here!"

Not needing to be told twice, Lori threw her fist forward and sent the dice flying. After skipping across the table for about five seconds, the die stopped itself in front of the Loud Parents; who proceeded to gaze upon it intently. "Okay, Lori; let's have a look see" Rita stated, "it seems like you've rolled...a 16!"

At first, the young teen considered this to be a huge loss for her. But the Council quickly interjected and assured her that it was still a good roll. "You gaze upon Fastred's necklace for a moment, making certain not to arouse suspicion" Lynn described in his Acheron voice, "you sense a glimmer of something, perhaps a mystical aura within it...but you cannot determine it clearly enough." Lori let out a soft grumble of disappointment at this news, thinking that she should've shaken the dice for a few more seconds."

"Lori may actually be onto something, dudes" Luna said suddenly, "anyone else in our group a magic user or anything?" Straightaway, Sam recalled that her character's subclass was also a mage; just like Lori. But then, she quickly realized that the only kind of keen senses a Tiefling had was night-vision and that wouldn't do them much good here.

"Why not just use a Detect Magic spell" Simon suggested, "that could probably be of some help." As much as she didn't like to do it; with a heavy heart, Sam shot down her brother's idea. But before he could feel challenged or upset by it, everyone reminded him of their current situation.

"You're right, dude; either your sister, Lori or Lucy _could _use detect magic, at this point" Luna stated, "but remember...if they did, Fastred might notice and you'd all get busted." After this, Simon quickly understood the issue and hoped someone else could think of something. "I'm afraid you don't have much time to discuss the matter, everyone" Pop-Pop said in his Karuk voice, "because after feeling so entertained by your demonstration, Fastred offers you all to stay at one of the city's finest inns."

Upon hearing this news; Benny and the rest of his troupe, while in character, cheer with glee. Meanwhile, Lori and her four younger sisters all look at each other with concern. "I dunno, should we hang around for much longer" Lana asked, "we've got a really important quest to get back to."

The instant she said these words, the Council asked her if she was asking this in character or as herself. "Oh, yeah; sorry about that" Lana replied, "what I meant was...uh, 'we do appreciate your kind gesture, Your Lordship...but my friends and I must be going.'" The Council nodded silently at this, appearing pleased with Lana's quickness in reassuming her role.

Then, Lola (while speaking as her own character) said that they were traveling for quite a while and were in desperate need of a rest. "'What say you to this, She-Elf'" Lucy murmured softly, "'should we rest here or continue on our way?'" After scratching her chin in thought for a few moments, Lori gave a nod and decided that they _would _stay at the inn for the night.

"I can't literally promise will be joining everyone for the festival" she stated, "but we _are_ in need of some rest and refreshment." With that said; Huggins, while in character as Count Fastred, clapped his hands and asked for some servants to act as the troupe's guides. "'Of course, My Lord; we'd be happy to help'" Joey said while sporting a rather creepy smile on his face, "'please, come with me; my associates and I will lead you to your lodgings.'"

(The Game World)

Moments later, everyone was brought to a charmingly rustic looking building in the center of town. While it _was_ painted in the same colors as the rest of the town, its design was more of a delightful multi-level cottage. Upon entering, however; everyone soon discovered that the establishment didn't feel quite as charming on the inside as it _looked _on the outside_._

Everything was eerily neat, tidy, everyone appeared to be sipping their beverages in unison and the only music that could be heard were the musical notes of a hammered dulcimer nearby. Once the door was closed; every patron inside turned towards them, smiled oddly and murmured the word "welcome" in a simultaneous voice. _"_This_ is the best lodgings they have" _Shadow whispered softly in her telepathic voice,_ "place looks as bizarre as the rest of the city."_

While Ventris and the twins shared in her sentiment, they quickly reminded her to keep her voice down; even though she was speaking telepathically. "Agreed, we should do all we can to remain inconspicuous until we leave this place" Ursa stated, "that means we have to go along with the people's behavior...no matter how disturbing it might feel." While the small band of heroes discussed their business with each other, Caden was acquainting himself with the innkeeper; asking if there was enough space for everyone.

"Of course we do, Sir" the innkeeper's wife said with a "joyous" look upon her face, "in Maravillosa, we _never_ shun away those who are in need of rest or shelter." While the woman's words seemed warm and inviting, at first; there was something about her tone of voice that made even little Lupa's tail frizz with fear. "Come, have a seat" the woman insisted softly, "my husband will assist your compatriots while I prepare some food and drink for the rest of you."

At first, the party felt libel to refuse the offer; thinking it was too much trouble. "Oh, no; not at all" said the innkeeper, "it is customary for us to always welcome visitors to our city with warm smiles and even warmer hospitality." With that said, he called for Caden and his troupe to follow him upstairs; while the wife tended to Ventris' group.

In no time, she had begun to serve them all what she called "the house specials;" which consisted of bowls of pepper stew and small cups of non-alcoholic apple cider. Without hesitation, Ezra immediately delved into his bowl; sipping and slurping down every last drop. Upon finishing it, he eased himself back on his chair and gave a long sigh of satisfaction; all while patting his belly.

Not long after that, Ezra guzzled down his cider in less than five seconds; which left him feeling even more satisfied. That was when he saw it, the odd looks on everyone's faces. But instead of them all appearing joyful and "pleasant" like before, they were all staring at him with supposedly disgusted looks.

Of course, one could not blame them for it; considering how sloppily Ezra sampled his meal. "Oh...uh, my sincerest apologies" he said with a light yet apologetic bow, "we've just been traveling for so long and...and I've been so hungry, I couldn't control myself." Miraculously, the innkeeper's wife didn't appear all that offended by the druid's sloppiness; save for reminding him to use a spoon.

After that, she walked over to a drawer to collect a napkin for him. Meanwhile, Ursa spent this time silently scolding her brother for his bad table manners. "I'm sorry but it's like I just said, I was hungry" Ezra grumbled, "many people act uncouth, when they feel ravenous."

Ursa chose only to roll her eyes in annoyance, rather than offer up a response to this. After that, the innkeeper's wife returned with the napkin and handed it off to Ezra. But the young druid claimed he didn't really need it, that he could use the hem of his cloak to clean up his messes.

"What the...Don't you Tabaxis have any dignity" Ventris gasped in disgust, "no self-respecting spell-caster would use their own cloak to clean any messes or their own faces!" Just as she and Ezra were moments away from getting into a heated argument; the innkeeper's wife suddenly cleared her throat, catching their attention. When Ezra saw the napkin in her hand, he insisted that he didn't need it; which only irritated Ventris even more.

"Please, Sir; accept this" she said in a soft yet insisting tone, "I _really _think you might need it." In that moment; Ezra couldn't decide which was stranger, the woman's tone or the odd smile that remained plastered upon her face. But regardless of either one, he still did the respectable thing and accepted the woman's napkin.

Just as Ezra was moments away from wiping his lips with the item in question, he suddenly felt Shadow's hand grip him tightly by the wrist; stopping him. "What the devil is wrong with you, Crow" he hissed bitterly, "your nails almost cut into my..." Before Ezra had the chance to finish, Shadow gave a soft squawk and pointed her free hand at the napkin; where everyone could see something underneath the fold.

With steady hands, Ventris snatched away the item and unfolded it carefully. That was when she saw an odd message scribbled inside the napkin which read "after dark, come into basement...do not let others see you." Naturally, this all sounded rather ominous in nature and everyone wondered if it was either the innkeeper or his wife that wrote it.

"Do you think we should do what the message says" questioned Ursa in a hushed tone, "for all we know, it could be a trap." Ezra and Shadow couldn't help but agree, believing that the smiles and pleasantries were all part of some elaborate ruse to eventually overtake them. But Ventris, while remaining slightly indifferent, said that this was something worth looking into.

"Let's meet down here at the bar, just after Caden and his compatriots retire to their rooms" Ventris whispered, "make certain no one follows you, as the message requests...and bring a weapon." With that settled, everyone went back to filling their bellies; all while never taking their eyes off of everyone else in the room.

(Line Break)

Night fell and everyone in Maravillosa had soon drifted off to sleep, including the Caden and his fellow Bards. Meanwhile, after they made certain that no one else was awake, Ventris and _her_ comrades crept out of their rooms and went down to the bar. The moment they arrived, there was no one to be found; which made the room feel even more cryptic than before.

Feeling confused, Ventris began to look around every nook and cranny of the room; hoping to find someone. But after a while, she discovered that that she and her friends were the only ones there. "I knew it, I knew that whoever wrote that note was playing us for fools" Ezra hissed silently in anger, "let's go back to our rooms and _try_ to go to sleep...please?"

After giving the room one final look around; Ventris had, once again found nothing of value and was moments away from granting her friend's request. But then, there came a sudden rattling noise from behind the bar; which caused everyone to almost leap out of their skins. "What the devil was that" Ventris exclaimed, "Lupa...go back there and see what's going on."

After giving out a soft bark in response; the wee wolf pup darted round the bar and spotted something strange, a trap door. When everyone else got a look at it, they suddenly wondered where it might lead to. That was when they heard the same rattling sound from before, which caused Lupa to jump back in alarm.

"There's something down there" Ursa cried out in surprise, "perhaps, it's one of the Count's soldiers; plotting to ambush us!" Before the party had the chance to debate, the door rose up to reveal...the innkeeper and his wife; both of whom appeared to be wearing hooded cloaks. "Good, you are here" whispered the wife, "were any of you followed downstairs by anyone?"

Still feeling confused by the situation, Ventris and her comrades shook their heads in response while Lupa simply growled with apprehension. Upon hearing this, the wife reached into her cloak and brought out a small piece of meat; which she proceeded to offer it up to the wolf pup. Cautiously, Lupa approached the offering and gave it a small sniff; thinking it might be a trick.

The instant the rich aroma filled her small nostrils, however; her attitude swiftly changed and she devoured the meat in one fell swoop. "I suppose this means we can trust you" Ventris said uneasily, "but what is this all about, why are you hiding under your own establishment?" Without pause, the innkeeper explained that the door led down into the cellar; where all their wines and food stocks were stored away.

"We cannot talk here; please, follow us" the wife insisted, "hurry, we will explain everything when we're in private." At first, Ventris felt suspicious of the couple; wondering just what they had to hide from everyone else. But after hearing the innkeeper's wife make another plea to her, she sensed that there was no malicious intent hidden in her voice and decided to follow her.

"Come with me, everyone; it's alright" Ventris whispered, "we can trust these two." For a moment or so, the remainder of the party felt suspicious about what was going on. But after a while, they realized that there was no time to argue over the matter now.

Thus, they had no choice but to follow their companion; in spite of their instincts telling them to do otherwise. After walking down a small flight of steps, Shadow noticed Ventris heading through a wooden door up ahead. Without pause; she, Ezra and Ursa hurried through...just as the innkeeper closed the door shut behind him.

Not long after that, another cloaked figure placed a strange scroll upon the door; one that appeared to be covered in mystic runes. After he touched it, the symbols on the paper began to shine brightly and a blue light suddenly filled the cellar. "I knew it wasn't a good idea to come down here" Ezra hissed, "now, we've fallen into a trap!"

No sooner had he said this, the team quickly drew out their weapons and took a defensive position. That was when they spotted other figures in the room, ones wearing cloaks similar to the innkeeper and his wife. As if Fate had overheard the party's thoughts, the duo in question soon appeared and began to approach Ventris.

"What...What's going on here, what did that scroll just do, why did you bring us here" the elf mage demanded, "tell us now...I will not be held responsible for whatever my friends and I might do here, if no one speaks up!" After that, there was a rather tense standoff; one that felt like it would last for ages. Then, after a while; the innkeeper's wife fell at Ventris' feet...and cried.

"Please...Please, we beg of you" she said between sobs, "you must save our people before it's too late!" Mere seconds after this occurred, all the other cloaked figures fell to the floor and began sobbing as well; all while pleading for the heroes to help them.

(First AN: DUN, DUN, DUN! This is the perfect place to stop things off for the moment. What could the cloaked figures want the heroes to help them with, is Maravillosa as "perfect" as it looks and what secrets are the city and its leader hiding?

Tune in next time to find out, as the adventure continues)

(Second AN: The name "Maravillosa" is actually the Spanish term for "Wonderful." I thought the word would be the perfect name for this chapter's setting, what with its oddly perfect atmosphere)

(Final AN: Speaking of which, I wanted to give the city the sort of look that modern planned communities have; where everything looks nearly identical and there's little to no signs of imperfection seen anywhere. Furthermore, everyone's creepy smiles and "pleasant" demeanors are all based on characters from the MLP episode; The Cutie Map. When I saw everyone's creepy smiles on that, I thought "that would fit perfectly here."

Some might also make comparisons with an episode from The Twilight Zone. In which case, I say you might not be too far off)


	14. Chapter Twelve: The City's Dark Truth

The City's Dark Truth

(The Real World)

Back at the table, Lori and her group were left speechless by the game's sudden twist. From the get-go, every one of them truly believed that the townsfolk of Maravillosa were a joyous and happy community. But after hearing what their parents and the rest of the Council revealed, they wondered if it was all a trick.

"Have patience, ladies" Principal Huggins urged in his normal voice, "all will be revealed shortly." With that said, the Council started up the game again; using the girls' real world shock as a means to describe their characters' current situation. "Upon hearing your concerned tones, the Innkeeper and his wife try to calm themselves down" Rita said in his Eliana voice, "the wife says 'please, my Lord and Ladies; do forgive my husband's behavior...he has been under a great deal of stress as of late.'"

This seemed to leave the five Loud Sisters feeling even more confused than before. But Lori realized that in order to get more answers, the game needed to progress a little further on. "Okay... here it goes" she murmured with a soft sigh, "after I get over my shock, I ask the Innkeeper if he or his wife was the one that wrote the note on the napkin earlier?"

Straightaway; Rita, while mimicking the voice of the wife, explain that _she_ was the one who wrote the note telling them to come downstairs. "One of the other figures, who is actually the town's tailor, approaches you all and asks if you were followed" Mrs. Johnson asked in her Agathe voice, "she mentally prays you say no." In spite of them still feeling confused over the situation; Lola, while acting as her character, assured them nobody followed them down.

"Okay, now...the Innkeeper apologizes for the overall secrecy of their summons" Lynn Sr. stated, "but he, his wife and the rest of the townsfolk claim they wanted to speak with you in secret on an important matter." Before everyone continued on; Luna raised her hand and questioned if she, Luan or any of the bard troupe members were a part of this meeting as well. "Nope...so sorry, girls" Albert murmured, "but you all are still snug in your beds upstairs, completely unaware of what's happening."

This news did not seem to please the rocker at all, who felt like she was being gypped out of being part of a good mystery scene. "Don't worry, sweetie; your group's time to shine will come" Rita assured, "as for the rest of you...once you're all in the basement; the innkeeper quickly locks the door behind you, while the others are seen drawing odd symbols on the door itself and the walls." With this description, Lucy's small frown shifted slightly into a grin; thinking that there was about to be some magic going on.

Surely enough; once everyone finished drawing, the Council explained that the people in the basement wish for Ventris to use her magic on the symbols. "Okay...um, real-talk her for a second" Lori said suddenly, "why do these people want me to use my powers and what's with the symbols you're all talking about?" In response to this, the Council urged Lori to fulfill the Innkeeper's request; stating that everything would be further explained soon."

"GRR! Okay, fine; I'll do it" she groaned softly, "so...what are we talking about here, a shield spell or...or something else?" In response, Albert suggested that Lori should use an invisibility spell. "The strange symbols everyone drew around the room will help strengthen your magic, when performing the spell" Lynn Sr. stated, "let's just hope you'll get a good roll, hon."

Lori's face contorted to a light frown, leading her to think that even with the symbols helping her; a low roll might result in the spell not lasting very long. But then, much to Lori's initial surprise, her sense of determination suddenly kicked in. _"C'mon, Loud; don't let this silly game literally intimidate you"_ she thought fiercely, _"you can _DO THIS!_"_

With this thought in mind, Lori took hold of the dice and began to shake it. She did it for so long and so hard that everyone at the table could hear it rattling like a maraca. Then, after almost ten seconds of shaking it; Lori send the dice flying. Miraculously, it only traveled about midway up the table; just as everyone started to fear they might get hit by it.

"Okay, hon; your roll is a...17" Lynn stated, "now, give me one more roll for a Wisdom Check." At first, Lori felt confused and bothered by the fact she would need to make _another_ dice roll. But then, she realized it was necessary; due to the fact she needed to use the runes to cloak the whole room. "Okay...could you give me one more reminder" Lori requested, "do I roll the D20 or something else?"

At first, she expected the Council to be bothered by her question; before telling her "we already explained this to you." But instead; her parents quickly put her fears to rest, saying that it was natural to lose track of what dice to roll for certain things. "For this, you'll need your D5" Rita stated, "here's hoping you'll get a good number."

Lori plucked up another one of the dice and prepped herself for yet another roll. But before she did it, the eldest Loud Sister looked down at the dice...and kissed it lightly; proclaiming to everyone else that it was for "good luck." "Ordinarily, I would be bothered by the mention of doing something for 'good luck;' due to...past experiences" Lincoln murmured with a grimace, "but for _this_ case, I'll make an exception...just this once."

Mere seconds after he said this, the Council (particularly Lincoln's parents) sounded off in agreement while also encouraging the girls to not base all their rolls solely on the idea of "luck." "Yeah, yeah; we get it" Lynn Jr. murmured, "now...can Lori _please_ roll the ding-dang dice already?!" After dismissing her sister's "request" with a soft huff, Lori let the dice roll and crossed her fingers tightly; hoping to get a good number.

"Okay, now; let's see here" Pop-Pop murmured as he watched the dice roll along, "your Wisdom Check amounts to a...THREE!" Upon making this announcement; Rita and Lynn Sr. explained that by adding this to her earlier roll of 17, Lori gained an amount of twenty points! "This means that not only is your spell successfully cast, it will last for a long while" Mrs. Johnson stated, "that is, until one of you decides to leave the room."

Once that was settled, the Council proclaimed that everyone was now safely hidden away from prying eyes. Meanwhile, Lori and her group still believed that all these "safety measures" were a tad overkill. "Normally, you'd be right" Lynn Sr. stated, "but as the Innkeeper soon explains to you; it's the only way to keep everyone hidden from prying eyes."

(The Game World)

Once the spell was in affect, everyone within the basement room suddenly became as nervous as church mice; all while staring at the symbols intently. Neither Ventris nor her compatriots seemed to understand what was happening but chose to hold their tongues; for the time being. When the last of the symbols finally started glowing, the group of cloaked figures suddenly fell to their knees and groaned with exhaustion.

"Thank you...Thank you so much for your help, Madame Elf" said the innkeeper's wife with tears in her eyes, "if I had to spend another moment smiling like a fool...I'd go _MAD!_" Ventris was taken aback by this odd behavior, mostly due to the shock of how different everyone seemed; when compared to earlier. With this in mind, she proceeded to question everyone on what was going on.

"I'd like to know the truth for meself as well" Ezra growled softly, "are you lot tryin' to tell us that you're not as happy as you looked out in the streets?!" After choosing to ignore his rather harsh tone, the innkeeper explained that they had no choice but to appear happy and pleasant. "I...I do not understand" Ventris murmured confusedly, "are you implying that someone is...forcing you to be happy?"

With tired looks upon each of their faces, the small group of townsfolk answered with a slight nod; all while trying to keep a grip on their nerves. "It's all the doing of our 'illustrious leader,' Count Fastred" grumbled one of the cloaked figures (revealed to be one of the town gardeners,) "he has a mad obsession with perfection and will go to whatever lengths he can to keep his city as such." Feeling more confused than before, Ventris asked how one man could keep such a tight-fisted rule upon his people.

"It has been this way for three decades, I'm afraid" said the Innkeeper's wife, "the histories surrounding Fastred are long...and strange." From here, all the townsfolk present in the room began to regale the adventuring party with a most peculiar tale. "Once, long ago; Fastred was but a lowborn citizen from the western provinces" said the innkeeper, "but he despised living as such and hoped for the day he could rise up and become a man of high authority."

Intrigued, Ventris made a bold step in asking how Fastred came to earn his current position in life. Almost immediately afterwards; the innkeeper, his wife and all their associates looked at one another. From their expressions alone, Ventris could sense that if everyone spoke any further; they feared she might not believe them.

"Please, continue" the elf mage softly insisted, "we truly wish to help you but we can't do that until we know exactly what we're up against." After taking a moment to consider the options, the innkeeper nodded in understanding and told Ventris everything she needed. "There have been whispers, in the past...rumors that tell of a night where Fastred was once greeted by a stranger" he said in a hushed tone, "they offered him a necklace bearing a magnificent jewel claiming it would 'lead him on the path to greatness.'"

Upon hearing mention of a jewel, the party suddenly remembered the odd banners they saw outside the count's home. While she _did _have a strong suspicion on what the jewel might've been; Ventris felt that she needed to know more, before making wild assumptions. Coincidentally, her compatriots had the same notion and wasted no time in asking questions.

"What happened after Fastred was given this jewel" Ursa asked eagerly, "what did he do with it?" Once again, the group of Maravillosa citizens could only offer up pieces of hearsay; rumors about Fastred supposedly commanding "divine powers." "Folk claim that the man could, somehow see into the future" the innkeeper's wife said firmly, "or at the very least, know what one is doing at _any _given moment."

With all this information presented, Ventris began searching through her memory for anything she might recall about such mystical artifacts. Alas...being an apprentice mage, her knowledge was rather limited on such topics. However, when the idea of looking into the business of others was presented; Ventris recalled learning _one _thing from her mentors about it.

"I'm not fully certain on this, mind you" she said hesitantly, "but from your story, it sounds as though the count has come into the possession of a scrying gem."

(The Real World)

Back at the table, we find Lori and her group gawking oddly at the Council; who had just finished describing the current game scenario to them. "Okay, back up a little bit" Lola said flabbergasted, "what's this...'crying gem' you guys are talking about?" With a weary groan in her throat, Lil' Lisa was moments away from entering "Grammar Nazi Mode" and correcting her sister's word choice.

But then, Lucy beat her to the punch and did it herself; albeit in a less snide manner. "'Scrying' is a term is a term used to describe a method of looking into the future" she stated, "or in this case, spying on others." As if on cue, all ten Loud Sisters suddenly shivered with disgust and immediately called the spell "creepy."

"I mean...it literally makes me think of the time Lisa had those cameras up in our house" Lori shuddered, "or worse, when she had us all chipped." As expected, all others at the table exclaimed loudly with alarm at this statement. Meanwhile, Lisa glowered softly in her seat; all while complaining how her family refused to let her live both events down.

"I wish to state for the record that I've apologized countless times for those 'incidents' already" she muttered dryly, "rest assured...the local law enforcement and court system has made me swear to _never_ perform such experiments again." While these words were true, the bitter memory of both situations still lingered in the Loud Family's minds and wouldn't go away anytime soon. Upon sensing the tension in the air, Albert reassumed his character and quickly snapped his fingers.

"Let us not linger on the past, young adventurers" he said in his Karuk voice, "let us resume the game...I sense things will soon become quite exciting." With that in mind, the rest of the Game Masters reassumed their roles and continued where they last left off in the game's story. While in character; Rita explained that after making so many successful "predictions" for his homeland, the ruling monarch rewarded him by giving him the title of Count.

"Wait, people can just...call you a Count or whatever like that" questioned Lana while snapping her fingers, "I thought you had to be born into it, like a prince or a princess." The Council shook their heads at the young lady and explained how noble titles like Count/Countess, Duke/Duchess and others were given unto those whom the royal family deems "trustworthy." "You see; before Fastred gained possession of the Scrying Gem, he was once a run of the mill schemer" Mrs. Johnson said in her Agathe voice, "he always knew just what to say to get what he needed...or wanted."

From here, she explained how Fastred was able to easily convince others that his victories were thanks to his own "expert intuition." Of course, not one of the Loud Sisters believed her; proclaiming that they would've easily known the man was a rat, if they'd met him. "Don't be so sure, ladies" Principal Huggins said with a light chuckle, "with enough practice, anyone can become a convincing liar."

With this, he began to tell everyone how his character was able to work his way to the top; despite his position in life. "Before gaining possession of the gem, Fastred used his wits and cunning to survive out on the streets however he could" he explained, "he always found ways to trick other beggars and thieves into sharing their 'bounty' with him." After hearing this part, Lana soon realized that Fastred seemed better at persuasion than Lola usually was.

"As a former thief, Fastred has strong levels of Charisma and Persuasion; which helps him persuade others into giving him what he wants" Rita said in her Eliana voice, "so, everyone...keep on your toes." Once that was said, the Council continued the story; describing how Fastred was later given his own city to watch over...Maravillosa. "'Of course, the city didn't look quite as 'marvelous' as it does today'" Rita said while mimicking the voice of the innkeeper's wife, "'once; it had dirt rows instead of paved stone ones, there was boundless amounts of grassland and everyone's home was reasonably spaced about the plain.'"

Upon hearing all of this, Lana found herself sighing blissfully while also proclaiming "Classic Maravillosa" to be the better idea of a marvelous community than how it was now. "I'm right there with you, Sis" Lori stated, "I mean, I love the city sometimes but Maravillosa just feels...too clean and it's so creepy how everything almost looks exactly the same." The Council nodded slightly in both understanding and agreement with the young lady's words, informing her that such attention to detail was Fastred's greatest flaw.

"After spending so many years down in the gutter, the Count was desperate to make his new city perfect" Principal Huggins said in his normal tone of voice, "I'm not sure if you've noticed but...I've based a little of the Count's personality on my own." Almost immediately; those among the Loud Sisters like Lynn, Lucy and even Lisa began making soft gasps of surprise.

Of course, Huggins could clearly sense their sarcasm and rolled his eyes. "Here's what I don't understand" Lucy murmured, "how long did it take for Fastred to build such a 'wondrous' city...and how did he do it all on his own?" In response to this, her father immediately reminded her about the Count's skills in persuasion and charismatic personality.

"The Innkeeper tells you that with these skills _and _the Scrying Gem at his disposal, Fastred was able to rise up the ranks of society little by little" Huggins explained, "and once he was given his own place to rule, he was determined to make it a 'beacon of perfection.'" With this statement, Lori and her four younger sisters all looked upon one another in silence; simultaneously thinking how creepy the situation sounded.

What made it even creepier was when they thought back to how painstakingly neat and tidy everything looked. "Pardon me, if this seems like a silly question to ask" Lucy said while raising her hand, "but...what happens if anything goes awry or if something doesn't look as 'perfect' as it should." The instant she asked this, the Council asked the wee Goth if she was asking this within the game or just to _them; _to which, Lucy chose to go with the latter option.

Without hesitation, she was given an answer that seemed too dark even for _her._ "Another of the cloaked figures, who reveals herself to be the local florist, steps forth and decides to answer your inquiry" Pop-Pop said in his Karuk voice, "she tells you that any instant a citizen besmirches the town's 'beauty' or fails to hold the line...would be _strictly _disciplined." From here, he begins to tell of the last time such an incident happened; which involved a painter who accidentally applied too many coats of paint to Fastred's estate.

"That's it..._that's _literally all the guy did wrong" Lori blurted out in confusion, "doesn't seem like _that_ big of an issue." Leni nodded in agreement and referenced a time where _she _did something similar to their house. Sure, it _was_ a mistake; on her part...but neither Lynn nor Rita held it against her.

"This is true, girls" Mrs. Johnson said in her normal voice, "most people _wouldn't_ take issue with such small things...but _Fastred_ isn't like most people." After this; she revealed that the count was so furious with the painter's "shoddy" work, he took them inside of his home...and whipped him mercilessly. "Before the painter went back outdoors, the Innkeeper tells you; Fastred told him to deliver a message" Huggins said in his Game Master voice, "he said 'show them your marks, let the townspeople know that if they make _any _attempt to ruin the 'perfection of Maravillosa,' they will meet a similar fate.'"

The girls all shivered with disgust, as the Council tells about how the painter was then roughly pushed out of his home and back into the streets. To them, Count Fastred seemed like Big Brother...times Ten-Thousand. "So...what's the story on everyone's creepy smiles" Lola inquired, "um...that is to say, my character asks everyone about why everyone smiles so much in the streets?"

Without delay, Lynn Sr. replies in referencing something that was mentioned just moments ago; Fastred's Scrying Gem. "This stone allows him to peer into everyone's homes and businesses at any given time" he said in his Acheron voice, "because of this; the townsfolk are then forced to act as calm, well-behaved and happy as they can...even if they don't _feel_ very happy." Not long after this; he adds that if Fastred so much as felt them _thinking _anything negative, they would meet the same fate as the painter...or worse, be executed.

If the girls weren't freaked out by Fastred's authority over everyone before, they certainly were now. Then, Lori suddenly remembered all the weird rune symbols everyone drew on the walls and door of the basement room. With this in mind, she asked for the reasoning behind it.

"Another cloaked figure, who turns out to be one of Fastred's own guards, steps forth and offers up an explanation" Rita said in her Eliana voice, "she tells you that in the past, the only other people who knew of their plight was a group of wandering Clerics; who were making a sort of pilgrimage across the realm. "The term 'Cleric' is the same as 'Monk,' yes" Lisa suddenly interjected, "if so...I was unaware religious followers were a part of this game." The Council nods slightly at the young genius and proclaimed her assumption to be correct.

Then, Rita (while speaking in her normal voice) explained that Clerics within D&D follow a different set of deities than real world people do. "Moving along, one of these clerics offered them something that would help keep them safe from Fastred's 'ever-watchful eye'" Huggins said in his Game Master voice, "a series of mystic runes that would keep the gem from knowing where they were." Mere seconds after this; he tells the girls that before _they_ came along, they weren't able to keep up the shield spell for very long.

"No one in Maravillosa possesses skills in the mystic arts, you see" Albert said in his Karuk voice, "according to Fastred, such practices are 'the stuff of demons and rabble-rousers.'" Lori, who was playing as a magic user herself, felt slightly offended by this remark; much to her initial surprise. She then rose from her seat and proclaimed that Fastred only said all this so no one could be "more powerful" than him.

Then, soon after she said all this; the eldest Loud Sister noticed that everyone (except for her sisters) was looking at her slyly. "What...What's with all the faces, everybody" Lori asked self-consciously, "did I say something wrong?" In response to this, Lincoln shook his head and said that they were all just smiling; feeling happy that she was finally getting into the swing of things.

It didn't take long for Lori to realize what her brother meant. She had become so engrossed in the backstory of Count Fastred and his authoritarian grip over his people, she didn't even realize she was slowly becoming more and more invested into the game. "Let's...Let's just move the plot along, please" she murmured while trying to hide her blushing face with her hood, "the sooner we stop Fastred...the sooner we can continue on with the quest." Upon hearing her say this, everyone suddenly started asking how they planned on stopping the count.

"Hold on...didn't the Count guy say something about a celebration happening two nights from now" questioned Lana, "if so, maybe...maybe someone could try and take the gem from him; either before or _during_ the festivities!" While the idea _did_ seem plausible on paper, as Lisa would put it; the girls couldn't help but find a few flaws in it. "No matter how stealthy we are, what kind of spells me and Lori...er, Ventris use or what kind of distractions the Bard Troupe would make; that gem will _still _anticipate our every move" Lucy murmured matter-of-factly, "however...there is _one _thing I have in mind."

Intrigued by this, every player at the table turned in her direction; feeling eager to know what the young Goth had planned. "First things first, I would like to ask the Council something" Lucy stated, "just how do the powers within Fastred's gem work?" To elaborate further; she asked if he needed to be wearing it, in order for the powers to work.

"That's a great question, honey" Rita praised warmly, "and you are right, the powers of the Scrying Gem only work when the user had it around their neck." In addition to this, she revealed that Fastred wasn't always seen wearing it; which many thought was obvious. "No, you guys; you're not listening" Lola whined softly, "if the Count doesn't wear his necklace all the time, we can try to snatch it whenever he has it lying around someplace!"

After taking the young lady's words to heart, everyone (specifically the members of Lori's group) thought she had a good idea. But then, there was (as Lisa put it) a fundamental flaw in the plan; knowing the best opportunity to try and steal the gem. "Why not go for it now" Lucy suggested, "the Count is probably asleep back at his estate...seems like the best opportunity to try and get the gem."

Though she felt proud of her idea at first; very soon...she would come to regret saying it. Not only did everyone think Lucy's idea sounded pretty good, many actually suggested that she be the one to attempt it. "Now; hold on, everybody" Lynn Sr. interjected, "it may not be a good idea for Lucy to go do this kind of heist on her own."

No sooner had he said this, Lily suddenly jumped up in her seat and started yipping like her wolf pup character. This, of course caused everyone to coo and giggle at how adorable she was being. "Correct me if I'm wrong here, everyone" Whitney said from her spot at the table, "but it sounds like the lil' lady wants to go along with her sister."

Almost immediately, Lily nodded her head vigorously while adding a few excited whimpers for good measure. "I dunno you guys" Lori murmured, "what could Lucy and Lily hope to achieve together at the estate?" In response to this, Lucy offered up two ideas; the first one involved her using something from her character sheet called "Mimicry."

"According to the manual; since Kenku aren't able to speak, the main sounds they make are any voices or sounds they've heard" she stated, "am I right or have I misread something?" Almost immediately, the Council answered her inquiry with short yet silent nods of agreement. They...or more specifically, Lynn Sr. and Rita, were quite surprised to hear that one of their daughters had actually read from one of the manuals willingly.

After almost a minute and a half of stunned silence, the duo finally snapped back to their senses and resumed the game. "You're quite correct on your assumption, young sorcerer" Rita said in her Eliana voice, "but might I ask, is this the _only_ course of action you wish to take?" Lucy smiled slyly, shook her head and patted Lily lightly on hers; causing the little toddler to bark softly.

"While I'm outside, I'll make a sound near identical to that of something breaking or someone screaming loudly" the young Goth explained, "this will...hopefully make Count Fastred leave his quarters to go and investigate." The Council collectively nodded with nodded to one another with approval, feeling evermore intrigued by Lucy's plan. When the time came to explain _Lily's_ part in it, she gave a soft yet playful chuckle.

"Once the Count is outside and far enough away, I use my magic to temporarily turn Lily...I mean, Lupa invisible" Lucy explained, "allowing her to go inside, find the Scrying Gem (hopefully) and snatch it away." Every player at the table sat in stunned silence, after this; which made Lucy feel mildly self-conscious. Seconds later, the first person to _finally _speak up was Lincoln; who kindly praised his sister on her idea.

"That's actually...a really good plan, Lucy" he said with a broad smile, "a _very_ good one, in fact." Soon, other players began saying the same thing, even two of her fellow Goths; Haiku and Silas. This in turn caused Lucy's face to turn a light shade of red out of bashfulness.

Even the Council Members thought the idea was good, which made her blush even more (mostly due to her parents' and Pop-Pop's praise. In that moment, she was thankful to have had her hood up. This would keep others around her from _seeing_ said blush.

After a minute more of sharing congratulations on Lucy's plan, the Council went back into "serious mode" and called for everyone's attention. "This plan of yours appears sound, young Kenku" Lynn Sr. said in his Acheron voice, "but to achieve it, you will need to make several successful dice rolls." The first of these rolls that Lucy needed to make was for her Mimicry idea, which the game called an "Ability Check."

The higher the number Lucy rolled, the more convincing her version of the noise would sound to Count Fastred. With this in mind, she picked up her D20 dice and began shaking it. "C'mon dice...c'mon" Lucy muttered softly, "show me something good here."

After this, she sent the dice rolling across the table and it stopped just inches away from where Huggins sat. "It looks like you've gained an...eighteen on your Ability Check, young lady" he said in his normal voice, "what sort of sound do you wish to make?" After taking a brief moment to think, Lucy decided to go with the sounds of cats yowling with anger.

"OOOH! Now _that's _a classic, honey" Pop-Pop said in his normal voice, "and it does just the trick for what you needed to happen." From here; he explained that with her "18" roll, the cat yowling noises cause Fastred to almost stumble out of his bed in alarm. "Feeling irritated, the Count puts on his robe and slippers and angrily stomps out the front door of his estate" Rita said in her Eliana voice, "he becomes so eager to find the 'mangy creatures' who disturbed his sleep that he rushes straight down the road...not even bothering to see where you were hiding."

This caused a lot of the young players (the teens and kids specifically) to giggle softly, mostly due to how the situation felt like a common issue people face in the real world. Once the laughter died down, Lucy put the next part of her plan into action. "For this part, honey; you will need to roll _two _dice" Rita said in her normal voice, "one for the Invisibility spell, which is listed under Illusion and the other dice roll is for Stealth."

Lucy nodded slightly in understanding and was handed back her D20, eager to begin her first turn. After shaking the dice between her hands for a few seconds, she let it roll and bit her lip with anticipation. Lucy looked down and saw that the number was a Sixteen; which seemed like a pretty decent roll, on its own.

But then, she recalled her "Plus 2 Intelligence Bonus" and added _that _to her roll; which added it up to eighteen. "Okay, things are off to a good start here" Mrs. Johnson said in her normal voice, "now, Lily...you're gonna need to make the next roll yourself, okay?" The toddler responded to this with a giggle and an excited "uh-huh, uh-huh" before picking up the D20.

Of course, the dice in question was much too big for her tiny hands. Therefore, she couldn't shake it like her older sisters were able to. Instead; she took hold of the dice, held it over her shoulder and lobbed it forward like a Little League player would throw a baseball.

The dice bounced slightly for about four seconds until stopping inches away from Luna's spot at the table. "Looks like you got a...Twelve on that one, brah" she stated, "which is still pretty good...considering." Despite the genuine optimism in her big sister's tone, Lily still felt rather disappointed in her roll.

"Hey...it's okay, Lily" Lucy said with a sympathetic smile, "once you're invisible, you'll still be able to try and snatch the gem; just make sure to be careful and quiet." With that said, the next part of the game's scenario went underway and the Council reassumed their roles. "After summoning your magic, you lightly touch Lupa with one of your fingers" Lynn Sr. explained in his Acheron voice, "then, in the blink of an eye...she vanishes."

As if on cue, Lily giggles and places her tiny hands over her eyes; as if she was playing a game of Peek-A-Boo. This prompted the Council, Lincoln, Clyde, Pop-Pop and even Lucy and Lori to look about the room in confusion. "What the...where did she go" Lincoln asked while stroking his dwarf beard, "Lil' Lupa was just here a moment ago."

As the little one in question giggled softly with amusement, Leni looked at everyone and tilted her head with confusion. "Um...guys, Lily's still right here" she said while pointing towards where the baby sat, "don't you see her?" In response to this, Lincoln patted her shoulder slightly and explained that this was all part of the game; everyone was just pretending that Lily/Lupa disappeared.

"OOOH! Okay, I understand now" the teen stated, "so, what happens next?" For the next part, the Council explains what is going on while moving Lily's game piece around the diorama of Fastred's estate. "Once you are invisible, Lupa, you rush through the door and into Fastred's chambers" Lynn said in his Acheron voice, "you sniff at the floor and several parts of the room...until you spot something glimmering on a nearby nightstand."

Lily giggles and cheers loudly with joy at this news, which causes the other players to laugh softly. But then, the laughter soon dies out; once the Council describes the next part of the scene. "You leap atop the bed and make your way towards the jewel, opening your mouth slightly" Mrs. Johnson said in her Agathe voice, "as you prepare to snatch the necklace, your ears twitch at the sound of approaching footsteps from outside!"

After this, she explained how Lupa then decided to leave the gem behind a desperate dash towards the nearest exit; the backdoor of the estate. But in her haste, she not only scuffs up the blanket on Fastred's bed; she also accidentally knocks the Gem from off the nightstand. "Oh, jeez; things are getting literally tense now" Lori murmured, "Lily's gotta do something quick!"

Feeling mildly afraid by this sudden turn of events, Lily soon starts to whimper like a scared puppy. Upon hearing this, Lori picks her up and rocks her tenderly in her arms. Within seconds, this causes Lily to calm down and her whimpers soon turned to into relaxed sighs.

"There we go, all better" Lori inquired while looking at her sister, "you...wanna keep playing?" In response to this, Lily bounced up and down in her elder sister's arms and barked happily like a wolf pup. While a small part of her felt pleased that her sister was okay again, another part of Lori hoped she would've chosen to back out.

"Okay, then...where were we" she murmured, "who or what is outside of the house?" Straightaway, the Council revealed that it was Count Fastred returning home; who did not appear pleased. "When he discovered that there were no angry cats outside, the Count presumed they either ran away or that someone was playing a trick on him."

After hearing all this; everyone, including the Loud Sisters, agreed that _both _ideas would make anyone grumpy. But little did they realize that the Count would soon make a discovery that would make him feel even angrier. "Upon re-entering his home, Fastred makes his way back to his room; eager for a good night's rest" Rita explained in her Eliana voice, "when he arrives, he finds a disgusting mess waiting for him."

The description of the aforementioned mess included Fastred's bedspread being mussed up, papers that were scattered about and to top it off, muddy paw prints on the bed and floor...and he also notices his Scrying Gem lying upon the floor. Upon hearing all of this, both Lucy and Lily suddenly quivered nervously with fear. "Your invisibility spell, young Kenku _did _hide Lupa's form from being seen" Pop-Pop said in his Karuk voice, 'but because you only rolled a Twelve in Stealth, you still left traces of your presence behind."

From here, the Council added that along with the paw prints; Lily/Lupa's low Stealth roll resulted in leaving something else behind...her scent.

(First AN: Uh-oh...out of the frying pan and into the fire, as they say. Will Fastred discover who attempted to break into his home, will the heroes be able to claim the Scrying Gem and keep it from him and what of the Bard Troupe, how will _they _react to all of this. Tune in next time, to find out)

(Second AN: As the Loud Sisters suggested, what Fastred does with his Scrying Gem is a reference to Big Brother from George Orwell's novel; 1984. While the character in question didn't use a magic gem to do what he did, both Big Brother _and _Fastred watch over the townsfolk like hungry buzzards; waiting for the chance that someone might screw up. Once that happens, they swoop in and administer "proper discipline" upon the offender)

(Third AN: For this chapter, I wanted to show the readers what was going on at the table; to have them see the Loud Sisters put in some work to help the story progress. I also wanted to show moments where the likes of Lori and Lucy were slowly becoming evermore invested into the game.

It's only a matter of time before they've all fully assimilated)

(Fourth AN: Fastred's character is lightly based off of Huggins' own on the original Loud House series...in a way. Sure; Huggins goes overboard with keeping things neat, tidy and orderly. But unlike Fastred, he knows when to cut loose a little; much like what he did with the Writing Club at the end of the episode The Write Stuff)

(Final AN: Another way to describe Fastred is that he...he's sort of like a mix of Huggins, Big Brother and Lord Petyr Baelish/Littlefinger from Game of Thrones. In terms of the third example; Fastred was also a "low-born" figure until he used his wits, charisma...and the power of his new Scrying Gem to earn a high position in society.

On that note, if you believe Fastred will meet an end as grim as Littlefinger's...you may be right. But we'll have to see if that happens, in the future)


End file.
